The prince who assassinated the King of Saudi Arabia

In March 1975, when King Faisal called Prince Faisal bin Musaid over, he had no idea that his nephew was hiding a gun on his person.

On March 25, 1975, at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, King Faisal, 68, met with the Kuwaiti Oil Minister. Prince Faisal bin Musaid, 31, the king's nephew, sat in the next room and chatted with members of the Kuwaiti delegation waiting for an audience.

After the meeting ended, Prince Faisal bin Musaid approached his uncle and hugged him. King Faisal bent down to kiss his nephew on the head, as is customary in Saudi Arabia. At that moment, the Prince pulled out a gun and shot King Faisal. The first shot hit King Faisal in the chin and the second shot went through King Faisal's ear, before the Prince was stabbed and restrained by his guards with swords.

King Faisal was rushed to hospital, but died shortly afterwards. On March 26, 1975, King Faisal was buried at Al Oud Cemetery in the capital Riyadh. His half-brother, Crown Prince Khalid, became his successor.

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who was assassinated in 1975. Photo: Wikipedia — King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who was assassinated in 1975. Photo: *Wikimedia Commons*

Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, born April 14, 1906, was the third son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. He ascended the throne in 1964 and implemented many policies to modernize and reform the country. Although his reforms were met with some controversy, his reign was popular with many Saudis.

Prince Faisal bin Musaid was arrested after the assassination. Faisal bin Musaid, born on April 4, 1944 in Riyadh, was the son of Musaid bin Abdulaziz, the 12th son of King Abdulaziz and half-brother of King Faisal.

Prince Faisal bin Musaid went to the United States to study in 1966. He studied English for two semesters at the University of San Francisco, then transferred to the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Colorado Boulder before earning a bachelor's degree in political science in 1971.

Classmates described him as “quiet, personable but not studious.” Professor Edward Rozek at the University of Colorado Boulder said he did not do well academically.

In 1969, while in Boulder, Faisal bin Musaid was arrested on charges of conspiring to sell the hallucinogenic drug LSD. He pleaded guilty and was placed on probation for a year.

Prince Faisal bin Musaid. Photo: Wikimedia Commons — Prince Faisal bin Musaid. Photo: *Wikimedia Commons*

Within 16 weeks of the assassination, Saudi Arabian security agencies conducted an extensive investigation but found no motive for the crime.

Prince Faisal bin Musaid was initially thought by the royal family to be mentally ill. However, assessments from medical experts showed that the prince was completely sane and healthy when he carried out the assassination.

Many theories have been put forward about the killer's motive. The most likely theory is that Prince Faisal wanted to avenge the death of his brother Khalid. Prince Khalid was killed by Saudi security forces while leading a protest against a newly established television station in Riyadh. The station was part of King Faisal's efforts to modernize the country, but many conservatives believe it goes against Islamic principles.

Arab media have suggested that the prince's girlfriend, Christine Surma, incited him to assassinate the king because she is Jewish and works for Israeli intelligence. Surma was questioned by Saudi officials and she insisted she was not Jewish. She said she was as horrified by the prince's behavior as everyone else.

There was also speculation that the prince was unhappy with the $3,500 monthly allowance (equivalent to $16,700 in today's dollars) from the royal family. Some sources said that King Faisal banned the prince from leaving the country because his nephew drank too much alcohol and took drugs.

Faisal bin Musaid was convicted of murder and publicly beheaded in a public square in the capital Riyadh on June 18, 1975. This is the traditional form of execution for murder in Saudi Arabia.

At 4:30 p.m., the execution took place. Prince Faisal bin Musaid, dressed in a white robe, was led by soldiers into the square. He was blindfolded and the crowd watched in silence. "Justice has been done," the crowd chanted as the sentence was carried out.

Thanh Tam (According to All About Royal Families, VOI )

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