Farouk of Egypt
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Farouk I (11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt from the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936.
His full title was "His Majesty Farouk I, by the grace of God, King of Egypt and the Sudan". He was overthrown in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and forced to abdicate in favour of his infant son, Ahmed Fuad, who succeeded him as Fuad II. Farouk died in exile in Italy in 1965.
His sister, Princess Fawzia Fuad, was the first wife and consort of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
In popular culture
In 1952, Farouk's former mistress, Barbara Skelton, published a novel entitled A Young Girl's Touch about a proper and prim young Englishwomen named Melinda who has an affair with a grotesquely obese Middle Eastern monarch named King Yoyo who enjoys spanking her.Template:Sfn Skelton later admitted A Young Girl's Touch was a roman à clef with Melinda being herself and King Yoyo was King Farouk.Template:Sfn Gore Vidal's 1953 pulp novel Thieves Fall Out is set against his overthrow. In 1954, the film Abdulla the Great was partially shot in Egypt in the Abdeen Palace and the Koubbeh Palace, and concerns the story of a fat and fabulously rich Middle Eastern king who lusts after a British model.Template:Sfn The film was released in 1955. The film's producer, Gregory Ratoff, stated during the filming: "If you ask me officially if it is about Farouk, I must tell you no! No!" before going on to say the film was about a "playboy monarch, a gambler, a money-crazed king with an enthusiasm for life and women...if the world see Farouk in the character of the star, then we can do nothing about it".Template:Sfn Farouk's Italian lawyer, Carlo d'Emilio, reportedly threatened on behalf of Farouk to sue for libel if the character of "Abdulla the Great" was too much like Farouk.Template:Sfn
Agatha Christie's short story The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding involves the theft of a jewel from a fictional Eastern prince who is somewhat irresponsible and fond of a luxurious lifestyle. His name and origin are not given in the original story, but in the 1991 television adaptation in the series Agatha Christie's Poirot (where the story appears under its American title, The Theft of the Royal Ruby), the story is altered and the prince identified as Farouk (played by Tariq Alibai). This adaptation sees Farouk recovering a jewel to maintain his standing in his home country, eventually succeed his father Fuad I of Egypt to the throne, and curb the influence of the nationalist Wafd Party.
English SF/Fantasy author John Whitbourn has published The Book of Farouk, a fantasy-tinged fictional ‘autobiography' by Farouk, depicting him as a towering global statesman bestriding 20th century history, and an incomparable erotic artiste besides. Nothing is True… – The First Book of Farouk was published in 2018, followed in 2019 by its concluding companion, And Everything is Permissible - The Second Book of Farouk, covering the deposed King's sybaritic European exile, 1952–65. The latter's title completes the former’s citing of valedictory words attributed to Hassan-i Sabbah, twelfth century founder of the Order of Assassins.
- In 2007, the MBC aired an Egyptian television series titled Al Malik Farouk about the life of King Farouk and he was portrayed by Syrian actor Taym Hassan.
- Bestselling author Warren Adler's (The War of the Roses) historical thriller Mother Nile follows a fictionalised account of several characters devastated by life in Cairo, Egypt during King Farouk's reign.
- A "Woman of Cairo", written by Noel Barber, offers an inside look of Farouk's palace intrigues and scandals.
- "Who do you think you are, King Farouk?" was a common verbal admonishment used among parents in English speaking countries to their children during the mid 1950s to late 1960s. The putdown was often used when a request from a child was viewed as too expensive, unreasonable or outlandish.
- Bruce Springsteen's song “Aint’ Got You" from the 1987 album Tunnel of Love includes the line “I got more good luck honey than old King Farouk.”
