In a display case in Iraq’s National Archives, a set of drawings on yellowish paper offers a window into the mind of the country’s last monarch, King Faisal II.
For decades the 143 pictures have been kept in the archives, with only a handful accessible to researchers and visitors curious about Iraq’s so-called boy-king, who ascended the throne at the age of three.
The National was given the chance to film the collection and the royal family archive for the first time.
The pictures shine a light on a tumultuous period in Iraq’s modern history, including the life – and gruesome death – of the king.
Born in 1935, Faisal II became the youngest reigning monarch in the world when he took the throne as an infant after the mysterious death of his father King Ghazi in a car accident in April 1939.
For nearly 20 years, the young king ruled Iraq through a period of extreme turmoil, including the Second World War.
But the king’s life was cut short when he was shot dead on July 14 1958 in a coup staged by a group of army officers to establish the first Iraqi Republic.
The drawings reveal that King Faisal’s early life was dominated by the backdrop of war during the 1940s.
Most of the drawings, in pencil or crayon, depict fierce battles in open fields, at sea and in cities.
One shows an aircraft dropping bombs on a cannon, with two soldiers responding with anti-aircraft fire.
The fighting in Iraq seems to have captured the young king’s imagination.
The abandoned Surrey estate once home to an Iraqi king – in pictures
In 1941, British forces invaded Iraq to oust the pro-Axis government, which had toppled King Faisal II’s uncle, Regent Abd Al Ilah.
In one image drawn by the king as a child, fires blaze from the windows of a two-storey building as three tanks with British flags pass by.
The subject of the drawings was the result of the period the king lived through, Director of the Iraqi National Library and Archives Alaa Abu Al Hassan Al Alak told The National.
“There was the Second World War and the presence of the British troops at the country’s airports and bases,” Mr Al Alak said.
But some drawings depict more peaceful subjects, including landscapes, birds, buildings, as well as maps of Europe and North Africa.
During the war, the king went to Britain to live with his mother in Grove House, Berkshire, before returning to Baghdad to continue his education at the Royal Palace.
When he was a teenager, he studied at Harrow School in England with his second cousin and close friend, the future King Hussein of Jordan.
King Faisal II’s unusual upbringing in Iraq and Britain gave him a unique perspective on life, Mr Al Alak said.
“He lived his life as a king and a boy at the same time and that enabled him to think differently,” he said.
The royal family archive includes photographs, letters, films and maps for the Kingdom and the Rihab Palace that survived the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. During the invasion and subsequent unrest, 40 per cent of the archives assets were destroyed or stolen, Mr Al Alak said.
As the world’s youngest royal ruler, Faisal II was famous in his lifetime.
Belgian cartoonist Herge based one of the characters in The Adventures of Tintin on Faisal II - the spoilt and mischievous Prince Abdullah of Khemed.
The fall of the pro-Axis government created a power vacuum, paving the way for the notorious Farhud, or pogrom, against the country’s Jewish community.
Hundreds of Jews were killed and their properties either looted or destroyed, marking the start of their emigration from the country.
By the time of King Faisal II’s 18th birthday in 1953, when the regency ended, the rise of Communism, popular unrest and pan-Arab nationalism had begun to threaten the region’s monarchies.
The overthrow of the pro-British Egyptian monarchy a year earlier had already undermined Faisal II’s claim to power.
The inexperienced king relied heavily on the advice of Crown Prince Abd Al Ilah and Prime Minister Al Said, both seen as closely allied with Britain.
Before dawn on July 14, 1958, army officers who opposed the monarchy, led by Brigadier Abdul-Karim Qassim and Colonel Abdul-Salam Arif, marched on Baghdad and attacked the Royal Palace.
"I heard an explosion at around 6-6.30 am and I jumped out of bed," King Faisal II's aunt, Princess Badiya bint Ali - the last surviving Iraqi princess - recalled in a 2012 interview with Al Sharqiya television. She died last year in London at the age of 100.
“I had a look at the Rihab Palace and saw smoke coming out of it,” she said.
King Faisal II, she said, offered to send guards to protect her but she refused.
Once inside the Palace, the officers ordered the king, his uncle and other family members into the garden, where they were all executed.
King Faisal II, then 23 years old, had planned to marry his fiancee Princess Fadila Ibrahim Sultan the next day.
She recalled how a member of the royal household rushed to her residence a few hours later, covered in blood and cried: “They killed them, they killed the king and his family.”
“I started crying and screaming,” she said. “When the kids’ English nanny asked me what was wrong, I said: They have killed my family.”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)
England 155 (19.5 ovs)
New Zealand win by 21 runs
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Envision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarthik%20Mahadevan%20and%20Karthik%20Kannan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Netherlands%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%2FAssistive%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204impact%2C%20ABN%20Amro%2C%20Impact%20Ventures%20and%20group%20of%20angels%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
More on animal trafficking
