Queen Victoria

[hollytree]

I have a document which says that Queen Victoria was the Rhedive of Egypt,
Can anyone tell me what what that is?

[sandyRoe]

Is that a misprint? Should it be khedive?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khedive

[jno]

khedive no doubt, but I can't think when Victoria was one.

[sandyRoe]

Agree. A khedive was like a viceroy. VR would have appointed one rather than have ever been one.

[jno]

it would have been a big step down and put her under the authority of the Ottoman sultan; that doesn't sound like the Victoria we know and love. When Britain semi-controlled Egypt they had a pliant khedive there but Victoria would hardly have done it herself. What's the document?

[whiskeryron]

I think not, see here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Egyptian_War_(1882)

WR.

[hollytree]

To JNO, actually the information about Queen Victoria being the khedive of Egypt I found in some family papers about a distant relative of mine being given a silver medal posthumously by Queen Victoria for serving in the 17th Company of Royal Marines for 19years and was killed in the Battle of Tel-el-rebid in Egypt.
Hollytree

[Mamyalynne]

Presumably, one of these then.


http://www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/Pages/EgyptMedal.aspx

[jno]

I can only think that must have been a slight misunderstanding in the document - perhaps it was the khedive on behalf of the queen or something like that. The battle was in 1882, and the British fought in support of the Khedive Tewfik Pasha. Stricly speaking he was viceroy for the Ottoman sultan, but the Ottoman empire was weak and he was really more like a British puppet ruler. But he was khedive, not Victoria. You can read the details in sandyRoe's linke and here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tewfik_Pasha

[Peter Pedant]

In the Ottoman Empire as it cracked up various bits were ruled by variously named people aaaaand
Egypt was ruled by an Ottoman placeman- actually I think it was hereditary - Khedifa - and yes you can spit over everyone when you say the funny kh

The Rnglish said Khedive which is 'dive' with a ker in front

Egypt was mainly French since Napoleon's campaign in 1799 until British occupied Egypt suddently overnight in 1882.

good articles on it on Wiki