Neslisah Sultana, Princess of Turkey and Egypt, a twice exiled and the eldest of the Ottoman Royal Family

- The Story of an Egytian First Lady

She was the poster-child for nobleness who carried the blood of Osman who established the Ottoman Empire

THE STORY OF TURKISH ROYAL HISTORY AS TOLD BY TURKISH PRINCESS

Princess Neslişah explained in an interview that the importance of

education preceded everything. Ladies of the royal family were very well

educated; they spoke minimum three foreign languages. As the grand

daughter of Sultan Vahdettin they supported themselves through

working hard, as everything was taken away from them. Unfortunately

the princes were unable to do so, as most had been educated by the

military, to become great soldiers, which left them unqualified to find

immediate jobs while in exile.

CHILDHOOD

TIH Princess Hanzadeh Sultan, Neslishah Sultan, and Necla Hebatullah Sultan of Turkey and Egypt

The princess was born in Istanbul two years before the Turkish Republic replaced the Ottoman Empire, which had ruled Turkey, parts of the Middle East and eastern Europe for 600 years.

BIOGRAPHY

Neslish Sultan was born in Istanbul, Nişantaşı, Nişantaşı Palace, 4 February 1921 was a paternal granddaughter of the last Ottoman Caliph Abdülmecid II by first wife[a] and maternal granddaughter of the last Ottoman Sultan and Caliph Mehmed VI Vahidettin by first wife. She was a daughter of HIH Prince Şehzade Omer Faruk Efendi (Istanbul, Ortaköy, Ortaköy Palace, 27/29 February 1898 - 28 March 1969/1971) and first wife and cousin (m. Yıldız Palace, 29 April 1920) HIH Princess Rukiye Sabiha Sultan (Istanbul, Ortaköy, Ortaköy Palace, 19 March/1 April 1894 - Istanbul, 26 August 1971).

The Princess spent her childhood and adolescence in Nice, France before moving into Egypt.

The princess took the surname Osmanoğlu, or son of Osman, along with other surviving members of the dynasty.

“When I go out in the streets, I see that all nice things were built by my grandfathers," she told Historian Bardakçı. "I therefore cannot help think that they belong to me. I feel like I am a part of this place and that I belong to this land.“

Princess Neslishah is the result of a six-century bloodline of imperial Sultans and Khans.

HI&RH Princess Neslishah of Turkey and Egypt with Hassan Chafik Bey

Neslişah Sultan, the last Ottoman Princess

Necla and Neslişah:

Two years earlier, Abdel Moneim, heir to a US$50,000,000 fortune, had obtained permission from his second cousin King Farouk of Egypt to marry Princess Myzejen (1909–1969), sister of King Zog I of Albania.

However, the marriage never took place and Prince Abdel Moneim married Neslişah instead.

MARRIAGE THAT NEVER TOOK PLACE

In 1940 Her Imperial Highness Fatma Neslişah married Prince Muhammad Abdel Moneim, son of Egypt's last khedive Abbas Hilmi II. Thus, she also became Princess consort of Egypt.

WEDDING

The wedding of Princess Neslisah of Ottoman who was the granddaughter of the last caliph Abdulmecid and the last Sultan Mehmed VI with Prince Abdulmunim

HER LIFE IN EGYPT

When the Egyptian Free Officers Movement deposed King Farouk in the July 1952 Revolution, they chose Prince Abdel Moneim to serve as chairman of the three-member Regency Body established to assume the powers of Farouk's newly enthroned infant son Fuad II.

The Regency Body was dissolved on 7 September 1952, and Abdel Moneim was appointed as sole Prince regent. In the absence of a Queen consort, Neslişah de facto served as such by virtue of her position as the wife of the Prince regent. Her few official appearances during her husband's regency focused on charity work. Like the royal consorts who preceded her, she attended sporting events such as polo matches and the international tennis tournament final.

Prince Abdel Moneim's regency lasted ten months in all. The Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council formally abolished the monarchy on 18 June 1953. In 1957, Abdel Moneim and Neslişah were arrested and accused of taking part in a plot against President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Again forced into exile, Neslişah was released from prison after the President of the Republic of Turkey intervened and demanded her release. She subsequently lived for a short time in Europe, then returned to her native Turkey. Prince Abdel Moneim died in 1979 in Istanbul, where Princess Neslişah continued to live with her unmarried daughter Iqbal.

At the time of her death, Neslişah was the most senior Ottoman princess. After the deaths of Prince Burhaneddin Cem in 2008 and Prince Ertuğrul Osman in 2009, she was also the last surviving member of the Ottoman Dynasty to have been born during the Ottoman era.

1953: rare photo of (HIH Princess Neslisah) wife of Egypt's regent with Premier Mohammed Naguib who became Egypt's first republican president a few months ...

Emine Tugay Hanem (A Cousin of King Farouk I of Egypt), HIH Princess Neslishah Sultan of Turkey, Hanzade and HH Prince Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, Cairo, Egypt,

HIH Princess Neslishah Sultane of Turkey, HIH Princess Hanzade of Turkey, and Emine Tugay Hanem (A Cousin of King Farouk I of Egypt), Cairo, Egypt, ...

CHILDREN & FAMILY

The princess, daughter and son

Family of Prince M A Moniem

HRH Princess Faiza of Egypt and HI&RH Princess Neslishah of Turkey and Egypt During the Playing of the National Anthem.

late 1990s: HIH Princess Neslişah with Ambassador Yaşar Yakiş (later Turkey's minister of foreign affairs)

H.I.H. NESLİŞAH SULTAN, her son ; H.R.H. PRINCE ABBAS HİLMİ, his son ; PRINCE MUHABBED DAVUT.

T.I.H PRINCESS NESLİŞAH OSMANOĞLU, PRINCESS NEJLA İBRAHİM, PRINCESS HANZADE İBRAHİM.

PRESENTER

Ms. Dayamani Surya holds Master’s Degree in the English Literature from Osmania University, Hyderabad, Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching of English from CIEFL, Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching of English from CIEFL, Bachelor’s degree in Science and Bachelor’s degree in Education.

She holds online professional certifications:•Project Management•Human Resource Management•Financial Accounting• Management and Accounting• Business Process Outsourcing•Advance Learning Certificate in English Literature Analysis from Ireland.

As a Research Associate in the District Centre for English Scheme, Department of Training and Development, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad since 1 May 2007, her work focuses on administration, curriculum development and teaching in the International Training Programme for Foreign Students at the University.

At the personal level, she works online as a mentor, helps the scholars in their project work, compilation of articles and papers, contributes to the publication of articles and journals. She is interested in writing diaries, blogs , biographies and short stories. Her areas of interest are humanities, art and photos, fashion designing, multimedia and journalism.

REFERENCES

1. Samir W Raafat's book Maadi 1904-1962; History

and Society in a Cairo Suburb

2. www.ibtimes.com

3. www.todayszaman.com

4. www.dailymail.co.uk

5. Wikipedia