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Egyptian Court Dismisses Claim to Crown of King Farouk by Pretender

A legal challenge to the legitimacy of the claim of King Farouk's self-proclaimed successor has been rejected by an Egyptian court, paving the way for the return of the former monarch's assets to his heirs.

The Cairo Economic Court ruled on Wednesday that Ahmed Fouad II, who was born as a prince but exiled after his father was deposed in 1952, did not have the legal standing to sue the government or the National Bank of Egypt over the ownership of the former king's estate or The Crown jewels.

The court also found that Fouad's claim to the throne, based on alleged secret letters from Farouk naming him as his heir, was not supported by any reliable evidence or official recognition.

"The plaintiff failed to provide any convincing proof or documentation of his alleged right," the judge said in the verdict.

Fouad, who lives in France and styles himself as "His Majesty King Ahmad Fouad II, King of Egypt and the Sudan", filed the lawsuit in May, arguing that the Egyptian authorities and the bank had illegally seized the assets of the royal family after the revolution that toppled his father, King Farouk, and established the Republic of Egypt.

He claimed that Farouk, who died in exile in Italy in 1965, had nominated him as his successor in letters smuggled out of Egypt and kept secret by loyalists, and that his father's abdication and the dissolution of the monarchy were null and void.

But the court rejected his arguments, stating that the Egyptian law did not recognize any private or informal agreement as a valid basis for the succession to the throne, which was regulated by the Constitution and the law.

"The plaintiff is not the legal heir or representative of the royal family, and has no right to speak on their behalf or claim any compensation," the judge said.

The ruling is likely to clear the way for the government to proceed with the auction of a collection of jewels and artifacts that once belonged to King Farouk, including a diamond-studded crown and a throne encrusted with pearls, which were seized from a safe deposit box in Cairo in 2011 and valued at around $1 billion.

The heirs of Farouk, who was known for his lavish lifestyle and controversial reign, had challenged the seizure, claiming that the assets were part of his private property and had been unlawfully confiscated.

However, the court ruled in 2015 that the assets belonged to the state, as they had been acquired through illegal means or belonged to the royal treasury, and could not be inherited by any individual or family.

The verdict was upheld on appeal in 2017, but Fouad, who is the last surviving male descendant of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, remained determined to challenge it, saying that he would pursue all legal means to regain his father's legacy and restore the monarchy.

"I am disappointed but not surprised by this ruling, which reflects the arbitrary and unjust treatment of the royal family by the state and its institutions," he said in a statement after the verdict.

"I will not give up, and will continue to fight for justice and the recognition of the rights of the Egyptian people to choose their own form of government and leadership."