Exhibition on King Faisal’s historic visit to Europe opens in London

The trip marked the first time a Saudi royal had visited England on invitation from the UK

Abdullah Ali as Prince Faisal in Born A King. Courtesy King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies

A new exhibition on Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz’s visits to Europe as a youthful envoy, diplomat and monarch opened in London on Friday.

The new show, entitled A Life at the Heart of the Twentieth Century, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the King's historic visit to Britain, Ireland and France in 1919.

The show opened on Pall Mall in central London with a speech by Prince Turki Al Faisal bin Abdul Aziz who observed that while the first visit got off to a tricky start, the late monarch was a close ally of Europe.

When he was just 13, the future king travelled to Europe and became the first member of the royal family to visit the British on invitation from the UK. Despite an initial mix-up over accommodation, the "central Arabian" delegation he led toured extensively around the country.

The exhibit is split into seven sections. One documents the King’s early life and another looks into his first visit overseas to India. There is also another section, titled ‘London’, which follows his visit to the city that was his first stop during his 1919 visit.

“England, Wales and Ireland,” traces his subsequent tour of Britain and Ireland, while “On the battlefields” is about the King’s visit to Europe, only a year after the end of the first world war.

“Paris” tells the story of his visit to the French capital, while “Heritage” explores the legacy of his trip to Europe.

The exhibition is due to run for three weeks and include some of the late king’s personal possessions including his personal radio set, as well as manuscripts, telegrams, letters, paintings, maps, photographs, articles that documented his five-month visit to Europe.

Prince Turki Al Faisal is chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies which organised the event. Launching the project, he said: “This exhibition is one of many to be held in Europe to introduce the world to King Faisal, his personality, history and biography as one of the most prominent world leaders.

“It will trace King Faisal’s footsteps, showcasing parts of his journey, some of the places he visited, the figures he met and the importance of his visit to the continent in 1919.”

A film documenting his journey, called Born A King, made it onto the big screen in September and won the Best Film award at the Inward Eye Film Festival for independent cinema last month.