On July 26, 1952 Egypt’s Free Officers sent final warning to King Farouk - What did it say?

CAIRO – 26 July 2021: July 26 marks the anniversary of King of Egypt and Sudan Farouk I’s abdication of the throne to his son Prince Ahmed Fouad and the appointment of a Regency Council headed by Prince Mohammad Abdel Moneim.

After that decision Farouk I departed from Egypt with his wife Queen Nariman and the rest of his family, including the new king Ahmed Fouad. This came days after the eruption of the July 23 Revolution.

But before the king abdicated the throne, the Free Officers sent him a warning in the name of Lieutenant-General Mohammad Naguib, on the morning of July 26, so what came in that warning?

According to the book “King Ahmed Fouad II,” written by Adel Hammouda, the warning read:

“From Lieutenant-General Staff Mohammad Najib, on behalf of the army officers, to his majesty the king: It is due to the comprehensive chaos that the country faced in the last era, all facilities have pervaded as a result of your misconduct, tampering with the constitution and disrespecting the will of the people until everyone became unsure about their life, property or dignity. 

Egypt's reputation among the peoples of the world has worsened due to your persistence on this behavior, to the extent that traitors and venals have found protection, security, obscene wealth, and disgraceful extravagance at the expense of the poor starving people.

This was manifested in the Palestine war in the scandals of the corrupt weapons and the consequent trials that were subjected to your blatant interference, where you corrupted the facts and destabilized confidence in justice, helping the traitors to escape punishment. How can people not follow the religion of their kings?

Therefore, the army, representing the people, authorized me to ask Your Majesty to abdicate the throne to His Highness, your Crown Prince, Prince Ahmed Fouad, provided that this be done no later than 12 p.m. of Saturday, July 26, 1952, and to leave the country before 6 p.m. of the same day, while the army holds Your Majesty responsible for all the consequences of going against the will of the people.”

The warning was signed by Lieutenant-General Mohammad Najib.