Education and Early Marriage
Nazli received her early education at the Lycée de la Esclave-de-Dieu in Cairo and later attended the prestigious Collège Notre-Dame de Sion in Alexandria. Following her mother’s death, she and her sister were sent to a boarding school in Paris, where they spent two years.
Upon returning to Egypt, Nazli’s life took a dramatic turn when she was forced to marry her cousin, Khalil Sabri. The marriage was short-lived, ending in divorce after just eleven months. After the separation, Nazli lived with Safiya Zaghloul, where she met and became engaged to Saeed Zaghloul. However, this engagement was also ill-fated, ending when Saeed was exiled following the 1919 revolution.
Courtship and Wedding
Nazli’s life changed dramatically when Sultan Fuad I saw her at an opera performance and was captivated by her beauty and grace. Despite being 26 years her senior, Fuad proposed to Nazli on 12 May 1919. They were married on 24 May 1919 at Bustan Palace in Cairo. This marriage marked the beginning of Nazli’s life as part of the Egyptian royal family.