Ra'ad Bin Zeid - Royal House of Iraq

Royal House of Iraq

Prince Raad's position as the head of the Royal House of Iraq is in contention with Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein (a descendant of Hussein of Hejaz's granddaughter, sister and male cousin, but not in male line from king Hussein) who is another pretender to the Iraqi throne and the leader of the Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy.

The Iraqi Constitution (as amended in November 1943) sets rules of succession that stipulate:

1. succession to the Iraqi Throne is only for males of Iraqi nationality, and
2. takes place according to primogeniture, male dynasts lawfully begotten, from the family of King Faisal I of Iraq by his Queen. Failing male heirs of King Faisal (which occurred in 1958 when Faisal II died), succession is next to lawfully begotten descendants in male line of his brothers, the sons of King Hussein of Hejaz, according to primogeniture, provided they are also Iraqi nationals. That constitution provides no further: those who descend in male line from Hussein's ancestors, are not successors as to Iraq. Female descent is excluded from succession.

Raad was born in 1936 as a subject of Iraqi monarchy and is regarded to fulfill the nationality requirement. Moreover, his father was at that time recognized as a Prince of Iraq, and was appointed Deputy Regent of Iraq, as well as acted occasionally as full regent during Faisal II's minority. He is a male-line descendant of Hussein of Hejaz aforementioned. According to the provisions of cited constitution, Raad is eligible to succeed in Iraq. No other senior in primogeniture itself (meaning in practice the dynasts of Jordan, as all other lines have gone extinct), is asserting any claim to Iraq as obviously none of such are Iraqi nationals.