Description

Farouk I (1920–1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt from the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936.

His full title was "His Majesty Farouk I, by the grace of God, King of Egypt and the Sudan". He was overthrown in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and forced to abdicate in favour of his infant son, Ahmed Fuad, who succeeded him as Fuad II. Farouk died in exile in Italy in 1965.

King Farouk and Safinaz Zulficar (1921–1988) first met on a royal trip to London in 1937. They were engaged in the summer of 1937. They've married on 20 January 1938 at Qubba Palace in Cairo. Safinaz Zulficar was renamed Farida in accordance with the tradition initiated by King Fuad I that members of the royal family should bear the same initials. The royal couple had three daughters: Princess Ferial, Princess Fawzia and Princess Fadia. The marriage was under a large amount of stress due to Queen Farida's inability to produce a male heir, which Farouk found essential to maintain his throne. After the birth of a third daughter, Farouk divorced Farida, on 19 November 1948.