Talal bin Abdulaziz

His mother was an Armenian woman, Munaiyir, whose family escaped from the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923, a period of turmoil in Armenia.

Munaiyir was presented by the emir of Unayza in 1921, when she was 12 years old, to the 45-year-old Abdulaziz.

Their first child was born when she was 15 years old, a son named Talal.

Following tradition, Munaiyir became known as Umm Talal, "mother of Talal".

However, in 1927, the three-year-old Talal died.

Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (طلال بن عبد العزيز آل سعود Ṭalāl bin ʿAbdulʿazīz Āl Saʿūd; 15 August 1931 – 22 December 2018), formerly also called The Red Prince, was a Saudi Arabian politician, dissident, businessman, and philanthropist.

A member of the House of Saud, he was notable for his liberal stance, striving for a national constitution, the full rule of law and equality before the law.

Prince Talal was born in Shubra Palace, Taif, on 15 August 1931 as the twentieth son of King Abdulaziz.

In 1931, a second son was born to the couple, and was named Talal in honor of his late brother, following local tradition; thus, Munaiyir continued to be addressed as Umm Talal.

He was followed by another son, Nawwaf, and a daughter, Madawi.

It is unknown when Abdulaziz divorced his fourth wife and formally wed Munaiyir.

She is reported by her family to have remained illiterate all her life and to have converted to Islam.

Munaiyir was regarded by British diplomats in Saudi Arabia as having been one of Abdulaziz's favourite wives.

She was as known for her intelligence as for her beauty.

Prince Talal was made minister of communications when the office was established in 1952.

Prince Talal became one of the wealthiest young princes, but his bureau suffered major corruption problems.

Then, King Abdulaziz created the ministry of the air force to represent all flight-related matters from his administration.

Because Prince Talal and Prince Mishaal contended over who controlled the national airlines, Saudi Arabia was to have two separate fleets.

The dispute ended when Prince Talal resigned in April 1955.

Later, the ministry of communication was merged with the ministry of finance after Prince Talal's resignation.

This allowed King Saud to skip choosing Talal's successor, which would have caused friction in the royal family no matter whom King Saud selected.

Prince Talal served as Saudi ambassador to France and Spain between 1955 and 1957.

He was also the leader of Free Princes Movement in the 1960s.

King Saud appointed Prince Talal as minister of finance and national economy in 1960.

He was removed from office on 11 September 1961.

The reason for his dismissal was his proposal to establish a constitution in Saudi Arabia in September 1961.

However, King Saud had no intention or plan to reform the political system.

Therefore, he forced Prince Talal to resign from the cabinet.

First, Prince Muhammed bin Saud and then, his full brother Prince Nawwaf succeeded him in the post.

After Prince Talal's palaces were searched by the Saudi Arabian National Guard while he was abroad, he held a press conference in Beirut on 15 August 1962.

His statements caused a stir since he openly criticized and attacked the Saudi regime.

As a consequence, his passport was withdrawn, his property confiscated, and some of his supporters in Saudi Arabia arrested.

Soon the North Yemen Civil War began, and one week later, four crews of Saudi Arabian Airlines employees defected to Egypt.

Prince Talal adopted the name of the 'Free Princes' in Cairo on 19 August 1962, and broadcast his progressive views on the Radio Cairo.

Later, he, his half-brothers Fawwaz and Badr, and his cousin Fahd bin Saad began to make statements on behalf of the Saudi Liberation Front.

After four years, during which King Faisal offered tremendous financial inducements to the Free Princes, the latter were again reconciled with the royal family.

In exile, his own family did not support him and even criticized him for his intensive sympathy with then Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Saudi Arabia's foremost enemy.

She died in December 1991.

During the reign of King Saud, Talal and Nawwaf became bitter enemies, to the point of contesting their inheritances.

Their full sister, Princess Madawi, died in November 2017.