The Royal House of Mehmet Ali
La Maison Royale de Mehmet Ali
HRH THE PRINCESS FADIA OF EGYPT
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| Michel-Shamel Orloff
Her Royal Highness The Princess Fadia of Egypt passed away on December 28th 2002. Many are deeply moved by the death of Her Highness. My thoughts and prayers are with her husband, her children, the Royal family and with all the people inspired by her courage and devotion. Her passing away is a great loss and she will be deeply missed.

Throughout her life, the light spirited Princess who had a deep appreciation for the arts and horses, remained a truly private person who did not like publicity.

... She wanted to be left alone!

May this exquisite lady
find peace and happiness in Heaven



HRH Princess Fadia
painted by Mahmoud Saiid

The Princess's closed coffin was accompanied by her family from Chemin des Ramiers in Pully Switzerland to Citadel Square Cairo Egypt, where the funeral service took place. It was a private occasion led by her brother His Majesty King Fuat II, who exhibited a steely resolve and rigid control of feelings thirty seven years after he buried his father in the Royal Mausoleum at Imam-i Safii in Cairo.

Members of the Royal Family spanning three generations paid their last respects. The coffin with no royal banner or flag to drape over it was placed in the Royal Vault of the Rifai Mosque which was built as a Royal Mausoleum.

For all the heraldic colour, history and architectural glory of Egypt's greatest neomemluk Mosque, it was a simple service, little different from that for any other muslim. But the occasion was far from ordinary, and in countless ways large and small it was unmistakably the Princess's parting.

Now, The Princess is beside her beloved father King Faruk in the royal chantry dedicated to him at the Royal Mosque, the last resting place of four sovereigns.


HRH Princess Fadia was a painter. Her favourite theme being unicorns symbolizing spiritual legends. "Bret Melay" her former residence in St Legier was her inspiration.

In the News:
"The last journey", Goumhoreya Newspaper, 4 January 2003
"Egypt's soil embrasses the late Princess", Akhbar el Yom Newspaper, 4 January 2003
"Faruk's daughter coffin arrived from Geneva", El Mesaa Newspaper, 4 January 2003
"After Fadia's death", Rose el Youssef, 4 January 2003
"Avis de faire part", 24 Heures, 7 January 2003
"La discrète princesse de Pully s’en est allées
", 24 Heures, 8 January 2003
"Death of a Princess", Akher Saa, 8 January 2003
"Princess comes home", Ahram Weekly, 9-15 January 2003
"Royal homecoming", Cairo Times, 9-15 January 2003
"Princess Fadia returns to Egypt", Al Mussawar, 10 January 2003
"Fadia Orloff - Prinzessin", Suddeutsche Zeitung, 11 January 2003
"Shamel speaks for the first time to Arab press", Nisf el Dunia, 12 January 2003
"I witnessed the Princess's birth", Nisf el Dunia, 12 January 2003
"Rifai: The Royal Family's mosque in Egypt", Sout Umma, 13 January 2003
"Prince Fuat mourns his sister in Egypt", Al Mawed, 18 January 2003

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