Mohammed Ali Tewfik

Mohammed Ali Tewfik was a member of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, the ruling family of Egypt and Sudan from the 19th to the mid-20th century. He was the son of Khedive Tewfik I and the younger brother of Khedive Abbas II. He was educated in Cairo and Geneva, where he studied military sciences. He became the heir presumptive of Egypt and Sudan after the death of his father in 1892, but he was bypassed by the British in favor of his brother Abbas II. He served as the chief regent for King Farouk I in 1936, until his coronation. He lost his claim to the throne in 1952, when Farouk’s son Ahmed Fuad was born. He died in exile in Switzerland in 1955. Mohammed Ali Tewfik was a keen traveler and a lover of Arabian horses. He wrote several books about his journeys and his passion for horses. He also built a magnificent palace in Cairo, al-Manial, which is now a museum that showcases his collection of artifacts from different cultures and periods. He married a French actress, Suzanne Hémon, in 1941, but they had no children. He was known for his modesty and his avoidance of politics. He was respected by both the royalists and the nationalists in Egypt.