Mahmoud Fakhry Pasha

Fakhry was born in Cairo on 24 November 1884 into a Circassian-origin family.[1][2] His parents were Hussein Fakhry Pasha, one of the prime ministers of Egypt, and Nashat Khanum, daughter of Abdullah Safvat.[2]

Fakhry Pasha was a graduate of Collège des Jésuites in Cairo.[2]

Fakhry was the grand chamberlain to Sultan Hussein Kamil (1916–1917) and King Fuad (1917–1919).[2] He served as the sub-governor and then governor of Cairo (1919–1920).[2] He was appointed minister of finance to the cabinet led by Tewfik Nessim and was in the office in the period May 1920–March 1921.[1] Next he was named as the minister of foreign affairs in the second cabinet of Nessim and served in the post between December 1922 and February 1923.[1] On 11 December 1922 Fakhry was awarded with the title of Pasha.[2]

Fakhry was part of the three-member regency council established by King Fouad in 1922 which was given the task of ruling the country until Crown Prince Farouk became eligible to rule.[3][4] The other members of the council included Adly Yakan Pasha and Tewfik Nessim.[5][4] However, following the death of King Fouad in 1936 the parliament changed the council members.[4][5]

Fakhry was appointed ambassador to France in December 1924 which he held until February 1942.[1][6] Then he was appointed ambassador to Spain and later to Portugal, holding the two posts together.[1] He also served as the ambassador to Belgium and Switzerland.[2] He was the Egyptian delegate to the League of Nations and acted as the vice-president of the Assembly in 1939.[2] In May 1945 he was again named as the ambassador to France, but his term ended in December 1945 when he retired due to the age limit.[1] Following his return to Egypt he served as the director of the Suez Canal Company.[1]

Fakhry married twice. His first wife was Princess Badiha Khanum Effendi, youngest daughter of Hussein Kamil, Sultan of Egypt.[2] Following her death Fakhry married Princess Fawkia, daughter of King Fuad and Princess Chevikiar, on 13 May 1919.[2][6] They lived in a palace on the shores of the Nile which was sold by the princess to her half-sister Princess Faika in June 1952.[6] Fakhry died in Cairo on 1 June 1955 and was buried at Imam Al Shafii mausoleum.[2] Princess Fawkia died at a Zurich hotel, Grand Hotel Dolder, in 1974.[7]