Prince Zeid bin Hussein

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This article is about the former Head of the Royal House of Iraq. For his grandson a former candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the UN, see Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein.

Pretender Zeid bin Hussein
Born	February 28, 1898 Turkey
Died	October 18, 1970 Paris, France
Title(s)	King of Iraq (never crowned)
Throne(s) claimed	Iraq
Pretend from	July 14, 1958 – October 18, 1970
Monarchy abolished	1958
Last monarch	Faisal II
Connection with	Great uncle
Royal House	Hashemite
Father	Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca
Mother
Spouse	Fahrelnissa Zeid
Children	Ra'ad bin Zeid
Predecessor	Faisal II of Iraq
Successor	Ra'ad bin Zeid

Prince Zeid bin Hussein, GCVO, GBE (Arabic: الأمير زيد ابن حسين‎) born (February 28, 1898 - October 18, 1970) to King Hussein of Hejaz and his third wife Adila Khanum. He succeeded King Faisal II of Iraq on his assassination in 1958, but never ruled as Iraq became a republic.

[edit] Education and Career

He was educated at Ghalata Serai (Galatasaray Lisesi) College, Constantinople College and Balliol College, Oxford.

From 1916 - 1919, Prince Zeid was the Commander of the Arab Northern Army. In 1918 T.E.Lawrence suggested that he be made King of a truncated Syria.^[1] The advent of French rule resulted in his 1923 assignment to the Iraqi Cavalry and he was promoted to Colonel.

Zeid was also Iraqi ambassador in Berlin and in Ankara in 1930s and in London in the 1950s.

On July 14, 1958, Prince Zeid was appointed Head of the Royal House of Iraq, following the assassination of King Faisal II by General Muhammad Najib ar-Ruba'i, who proclaimed Iraq to be a Republic. Zeid and his family continued to live in London, where the family resided during the coup, as Zeid was the Iraqi ambassador there.

Prince Zeid died in Paris on October 18, 1970 and is buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Raghdan Palace, Amman, Jordan.

[edit] Mariage and Children

In November 1933, Zeid married Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid in Athens, Greece. Together they had one son:

• HRH Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid - born February 18, 1936, married to Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind now Majda Raad.

Prince Zeid bin Hussein House of Hāshim Born: February 28 1898 Died: October 18 1970
Titles in pretence
Preceded by None King Faisal II killed during coup d'état	— TITULAR — King of Iraq July 14, 1958 – October 18, 1970 Reason for succession failure: Kingdom abolished in 1953 (coup d'état)	Succeeded by Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid

[edit] References

1. ^ See map on display at the Imperial War Museum sketched by Lawrence in 1918 around the time of the Paris Peace Conference indicating Zeid to be head of a Syria comprising what is today western Syria with "british influence"