The Life of Suzie Mubarak: from Wales to Jail

Published May 22nd, 2011 - 12:25 GMT

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Image 1 of 11: Watch this face, predicts paper: Makes headlines at age 15 while at school in Heliopolis (St Claire's) where she made an impression: Remember this name! A year later she met Hosni, through her brother. We still remember that name over 50 years on, as she makes less promising headlines.

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Image 1 of 11: Husni the Younger: She married 30 year-old Air Force Officer Husni in his prime, at the tender age of 17. He jokes that he educated his wife. She returned to school 10 years after marriage. She resumed higher education age 36, and a life of education advocacy followed.

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Image 1 of 11: Struggling Suzanne: She earned a pittance as a teacher, on 11 guineas a month. The newly marrieds lived in a modest apartment, affording a private car only after 4 years of marriage. This ordinary start in life may explain later greed. Her maternal grandpa worked in the coal mines of Wales.

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Image 1 of 11: From Modest Housewife to Dictator First Lady: With hubbi Husni away on pilot duty in the Arab-Israel wars, the family portrait masks Suzie's lonely early years. Vivid memory of him leaving in the night on a military mission. Suzy nearly widowed when Pres. Sadat shot with Mubarak by his side.

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Image 1 of 11: She didn’t take a back seat in politics as spokeswoman for women and children rights: Yet she worked away behind the scenes, and came to meddle and have a hand in appointments. She bestowed favors, as titles to her brother and son, with one hand and took funds from the poor with the other.

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Image 1 of 11: Played the high life but lived a 'low life', marked by dishonesty. She merged personal and philanthropic funds, most notoriously from the Alexandria Library. Here in 1988 pictured at a dinner at the White House, enjoying the glitz of state functions.

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Image 1 of 11: 'Mother Suzanne': showed overt public 'concern' for social welfare, but displayed contempt for issues facing her country living on under $2/ day. While advocating for the disadvantaged- ironically flouting the international justice that the UN espouses- complicit in a regime of abuse and theft..

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Image 1 of 11: Chief Consort: Mrs. Mubarak had in the last decade become a powerful mover in Egyptian politics. She didn't lift a finger to directly act in government affairs, instead pushing for her son Gamal's succession to the Presidency. Mocked as Nefertiti of Egypt or Great 'Royal' Wife.

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Image 1 of 11: Potential heir nipped in the bud: The presidential couple's young grandson, Muhammad Mubarak, died aged 12 from complications of a health crisis. The eldest grandson of Presiden Mubarak , son of Alaa Mubarak, a businessman not involved in politics, here watching a sports game with Grandpa.

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Image 1 of 11: Patron of Egypt’s version of Sesame Street- Suzy did a lot to ingratiate herself with the people- but taking their money wasn’t her finest stunt toward boosting her fanbase.

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Image 1 of 11: Mother of Pearls more than 'Mother Suzanne': Suzanne Mubarak’s calls her Get Out of Jail Card: the wife of the deposed Egyptian President, has agreed to turn over $4 million worth of assets to the government in exchange for her release from detention without bail.

  • Watch this face, predicts paper: Makes headlines at age 15 while at school in Heliopolis (St Claire's) where she made an impression: Remember this name! A year later she met Hosni, through her brother. We still remember that name over 50 years on, as she makes less promising headlines.
  • Husni the Younger: She married 30 year-old Air Force Officer Husni in his prime, at the tender age of 17. He jokes that he educated his wife. She returned to school 10 years after marriage. She resumed higher education age 36, and a life of education advocacy followed.
  • Struggling Suzanne: She earned a pittance as a teacher, on 11 guineas a month. The newly marrieds lived in a modest apartment, affording a private car only after 4 years of marriage. This ordinary start in life may explain later greed. Her maternal grandpa worked in the coal mines of Wales.
  • From Modest Housewife to Dictator First Lady: With hubbi Husni away on pilot duty in the Arab-Israel wars, the family portrait masks Suzie's lonely early years. Vivid memory of him leaving in the night on a military mission. Suzy nearly widowed when Pres. Sadat shot with Mubarak by his side.
  • She didn’t take a back seat in politics as spokeswoman for women and children rights: Yet she worked away behind the scenes, and came to meddle and have a hand in appointments. She bestowed favors, as titles to her brother and son, with one hand and took funds from the poor with the other.
  • Played the high life but lived a 'low life', marked by dishonesty. She merged personal and philanthropic funds, most notoriously from the Alexandria Library. Here in 1988 pictured at a dinner at the White House, enjoying the glitz of state functions.
  • 'Mother Suzanne': showed overt public 'concern' for social welfare, but displayed contempt for issues facing her country living on under $2/ day. While advocating for the disadvantaged- ironically flouting the international justice that the UN espouses- complicit in a regime of abuse and theft..
  • Chief Consort: Mrs. Mubarak had in the last decade become a powerful mover in Egyptian politics. She didn't lift a finger to directly act in government affairs, instead pushing for her son Gamal's succession to the Presidency. Mocked as Nefertiti of Egypt or Great 'Royal' Wife.
  • Potential heir nipped in the bud: The presidential couple's young grandson, Muhammad Mubarak, died aged 12 from complications of a health crisis. The eldest grandson of Presiden Mubarak , son of Alaa Mubarak, a businessman not involved in politics, here watching a sports game with Grandpa.
  • Patron of Egypt’s version of Sesame Street- Suzy did a lot to ingratiate herself with the people- but taking their money wasn’t her finest stunt toward boosting her fanbase.
  • Mother of Pearls more than 'Mother Suzanne': Suzanne Mubarak’s calls her Get Out of Jail Card: the wife of the deposed Egyptian President, has agreed to turn over $4 million worth of assets to the government in exchange for her release from detention without bail.

 

The life journey of Egypt's First Lady, who once caught the public attention for her promising poise and ambition,  by now more infamous for corruption and narrowly avoiding jail.  Today she admits that certain assets that appeared to belong to her were public property, including charitable funds in her bank accounts, as she side-steps jail by giving back to Egypt what's rightfully Egypt's.

From modest roots in Wales, to more advantaged connections in Egypt, this woman rose to the High Life where she outstayed her welcome, only to aggravate her people and according to reports, incense and motivate  the people's fire against the Regime by her crooked and calculated crimes against Egypt. 

Mocked Mother Suzanne, she is far more Mother of Nepotism and maybe Mother of Pearl and opulence than the lady of charity she campaigned to appear. We look at what brought her to the jail bars following her years in the public eye and gracing the international halls of advocacy for human rights.

 

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