Book description
In a land where Kings still rule, I am a Princess. You must know me
only as Sultana, for I cannot reveal my true name for fear that harm
will come to me and my family for what I am about to tell you.
Think of a Saudi Arabian princess and what do you see? A woman
glittering with jewels, living a life of unbelievable luxury. She has
gold, palaces, swimming-pools, servants, designer dresses galore. But
in reality she lives in a gilded cage. She has no freedom, no vote, no
control over her own life, no value but as a bearer of sons. Hidden
behind the veil, she is a prisoner, her jailers her father, her
husband, her sons.
'Sultana' is a member of the Saudi royal family, closely related to
the King. For the sake of her daughters, she decided that it was time
for a woman in her position to speak out about the reality of life for
women in her country, whatever their rank. She tells of her own life,
from her turbulent childhood to her arranged marriage - a happy one,
until her husband decided to take a second wife - and of the lives of
her sisters, her friends and her servants. In contrast to the
affection and easy camaraderie amongst the women, she relates a
history of appalling oppression against them, everyday occurrences
that in any other culture would be seen as shocking human rights
violations: forced marriages, servants bullied into sex slavery,
summary executions.
Princess is a testimony to a woman of indomitable spirit and
great courage. By speaking out, 'Sultana' risked bringing the wrath of
the Saudi establishment upon her head and upon the heads of her
children. For this reason, she told her story anonymously.
Jean P Sasson is the author of the worldwide bestsellers Princess,
Daughters of Arabia, Desert Royal and now Mayada: Daughter of Iraq. She
lived in Saudi Arabia for over ten years from 1978 and became, during
that time, the intimate friend and confidante of 'Sultana', who asked
her to tell her story. She lives in the USA.
