Muhammad Fareed Didi

Muhammad Fareed Didi
King Mohamed Fareed I
King of the Maldives
Reign	March 7, 1954 – November 11, 1968
Predecessor	President of the Maldives (Mohamed Amin Didi)
Successor	President of the Maldives (Ibrahim Nasir)
Born	(1901-01-11)January 11, 1901[citation needed] Malé, Maldives
Died	March 27, 1969(1969-03-27) (aged 68)[citation needed] Malé, Maldives
Burial	Galolhu Cemetery
Spouse	Mugurigey Waheeda
Issue	5 (all died)
Names Muhammad Fareed Didi
House	Huraage
Dynasty	House of Huraa
Father	Sultan Abdul Majeed Didi
Mother	Princess Veyogey Dhon Goma
Religion	Islam

King Muhammad Fareed Didi (Dhivehi: އަލްއަމީރު މުޙަންމަދު ފަރީދު ދީދީ, Al'amīru Muḥanmadu Farīdu Dīdī) KCMG, (January 11^{[citation needed]} 1901 – May 27^{[citation needed]} 1969), the son of the Sultan Prince Abdul Majeed Didi (Al Munthakhab Liarshi Dhaulathil Mahaldheebiyya), was the last Sultan of Maldives and the first Maldivian monarch to assume the title of "King" with the style of "His Majesty". He was the Sultan of the Maldives from March 7, 1954, until July 26, 1965, and King of the Maldives from July 26, 1965, until November 11, 1968. He was deposed in 1968 from the throne when Maldives became a republic, and died the following year in Maldives.^{[citation needed]}

Early years[edit]

He studied at Royal College Colombo^[1] in Ceylon. After spending 7 years in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), he came back and became the prime minister of Sultan Hassan Nooraddine II on December 16, 1932. He served as the speaker of People's Majlis from 1933 to 1942.^[2]

Reign[edit]

After the fall of President Mohamed Amin Didi, a referendum was held and the country was again declared a Sultanate. A new People's Majilis was elected, as the former "People's Majilis" was dissolved after the end of the revolution. The members of the special majilis decided to take a secret vote to elect a Sultan, and Prince Mohammed Fareed Didi was elected as the 84th Sultan in 1954. His first Prime Minister was Ehgamugey Ibraahim Ali Didi (later Ibraahim Faamuladheyri Kilegefaan). On December 11, 1957, the Prime Minister was forced to resign and Velaanagey Ibrahim Nasir was elected as the new Prime Minister the following day.

On November 15, 1967, a vote was taken in parliament to decide whether the Maldives should continue as a constitutional monarchy or become a republic. Of the 44 parliamentarians, forty voted in favour of a republic. On March 15, 1968, a national referendum was held, in which 81.23% of the votes cast favoured establishing a republic.^[3] The republic was declared on November 11, 1968, thus ending the 853-year-old monarchy.

Post-deposition and death[edit]

After his deposition from the throne, the King left the royal palace and retired to his own residence (Maabagychaage, now the parliament house) in Henveiru ward. He died on May 27, 1969, in Malé. He was given a state funeral and was buried in the Galolhu Cemetery.

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