Princess Badeea with Her Son, Mohammed Hussein
By Wefa M. S.
Born in Syria in 1920, Badeea Ali Hussein al-Hashimi* is the last surviving princess after the elimination of her entire family in July 1958. She has been living in London for more than three decades.
Princess Badeea came with her family to Iraq in 1927 and left it in 1958 after hiding for one month following the July 14 revolution. King Faisal I was her uncle and Prince Abdul Ilah (who was killed in the 1958 revolution with PM Nouri Saeed and King Faisal II) was her brother. She has three sons, the eldest is Mohammed (appearing in the picture), the middle is Abdul Ilah and the youngest is Ali (aka Asharif^ Ali) who campaigned to claim his right for the throne following the fall of Baghdad in 2003.
I interviewed Princess Badeea and her eldest son, Mohammed, in their London flat on Wednesday, July 23, 2008. I thank retired colonel Ali Hussein al-Jasim for his appreciated efforts to introduce me to Princess Badeea and for arranging a meeting with her.
I am hoping to interview some of King Ghazi's surviving nephews, nieces, cousins and other relatives from his mother's side. It is important to also interview surviving personalities who worked with or befriended the King. If you or someone you know can help in this matter, please send an email to historyofiraq@gmail.com
* In documentation, her name often appears as Princess Badeea bint (daughter of) King Ali bin Hussein al-Hashimy.
^ Asharif means 'honorable'