A magnificent art deco tiara featuring 720 diamonds was sold at a 1975 Sotheby's auction by Nazli Sabri to satisfy mounting financial debts. This transaction marked the final years of a life that transitioned from the insular confines of the Egyptian royal harem to the bustling social circles of mid-century Los Angeles.
Early Life and First Marriage
Born in 1894 within the Alexandria Governorate, Nazli Sabri was the daughter of Abdel Rahim Sabri Pasha, a government minister, and Tawfika Sharif Hanim. Her upbringing included education at the Lycée de la Esclave-de-Dieu in Cairo, Notre-Dame de Sion in Alexandria, and two years at a boarding school in Paris. Her initial marriage to her cousin, Khalil Sabri, concluded in divorce after only eleven months.
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In May 1919, she married Sultan Fuad I after he observed her at an opera house. While she successfully produced an heir, Farouk, and four daughters—Fawzia, Faiza, Faika, and Fathia—her status as queen brought strict limitations. Confined largely to the palace, she found the courtly life restrictive despite her background. She occasionally participated in official functions, including a 1927 tour of Europe and the 1924 opening of the Egyptian Parliament.
Exile and Financial Ruin
Following the death of King Fuad in 1936 and the ascension of her son Farouk, she remained involved in court life until moving to the United States in 1946 for medical treatment. In 1950, King Farouk stripped her of her royal titles after she supported her daughter Fathia’s marriage to a Coptic Christian, Riyad Ghali Effendi. Having converted to Catholicism and taken the name Mary-Elizabeth, she eventually faced bankruptcy, leading to the liquidation of her substantial jewelry collection.
Fast facts
- Born: 1894, Alexandria Governorate
- Died: 29 May 1978, United States
- Spouse: King Fuad I
- Children: Farouk, Fawzia, Faiza, Faika, Fathia
- Burial site: Holy Cross Cemetery
- Residence: Beverley Hills, Los Angeles
Questions readers ask
Why was Nazli Sabri stripped of her royal titles?
King Farouk revoked her titles in 1950 because she approved of Princess Fathia's marriage to Riyad Ghali Effendi, which the King opposed.
Did Nazli Sabri ever return to Egypt?
Although President Anwar Sadat offered to provide passports in 1976 for a return to Egypt, she remained in the United States due to ill health.
