' Abd al - Ilah Crown Prince Abd al - Ilāh of Hejaz , GCB , GCMG , GCVO ( Arabic : عبد الإله ) ( also written Abdul Ilah or Abdullah ) ( 14 November 1913 – 14 July 1958 ) was a cousin and brother - in - law of King Ghazi of the Kingdom of Iraq . Abdul Ilah served as Regent for King Faisal II from 4 April 1939 to 23 May 1953 , when Faisal came of age . He also held the title of Crown Prince of Iraq from 1943 . Biography . Son and heir of King Ali ibn Hussein of Hejaz , who was the elder brother of King Faisal I of Iraq , and brother of queen Aliya bint Ali . His family fled Hejaz , when Ibn Saud of Nejd usurped his fathers authority . Abdul Ilah assumed power , in Iraq , upon Ghazi ' s death in an automobile accident . He served as Regent for the under - age Faisal II . 1941 Iraqi coup d ' état . During World War II , Abdul Ilah was deposed briefly by former Prime Minister Rashid Ali al - Kaylani . Rashid Ali led a pro - German " coup d ' état " during World War II against Abdul Ilah ' s pro - British government . After he fled the country , Abdul Ilah was replaced as Regent by Sherif Sharaf . Sherif Sharaf was an aging , holy - minded relative of King Feisal . The deposed Regent spent his time with former Prime Minister Nuri as - Said as a refugee in Amman . Abdul Ilah was a guest of Prince ‘ Abd Allāh ibn al - Husayn , the Hashemite ruler of Jordan ( future King ) . On 2 May , the United Kingdom launched offensive actions against the Iraqi rebels . On 26 May , the New York Times newspaper reported that Abdul Illah had called for an uprising of tribal and religious leaders to help him overthrow the insurgent government . He appealed specifically to the Iraqi people , the army and the police to accomplish " this heavy task " . By 2 June , Rashid Ali ' s " National Defence Government " had collapsed and Rashid Ali had fled to Persia . Abdul Ilah returned to Baghdad and was restored as Regent . Working in tandem with Nuri as - Said , ' Abd al - Ilah pursued a moderate nationalistic approach while maintaining close ties to the Allies . < / ref name = EB / > In 1942 , Wendell Wilkie traveled to Britain and the Middle East as President Franklin D . Roosevelt ' s personal representative . In Iraq , Abdul Ilah held a lavish state dinner attended by Wilkie . In 1945 , Abdul Ilah visited the United States . He was the honoree at the first state dinner hosted by the new American First Lady , Bess Truman . The Regent of " friendly Iraq " was awarded a Legion of Merit military decoration by President Harry S . Truman . In 1953 , Abdul Ilah stepped down when Faisal II came of age . But he continued to be a close adviser of the young King , and an advocate of a pro - Western foreign policy . In 1955 , Iraq adopted the Baghdad Pact ( also known as the Central Treaty Organization , or CENTO ) . The other members of the organization were Iran , Pakistan , Turkey , and the United Kingdom . The organization ' s headquarters were initially located in Baghdad . In May 1957 , King Ibn Saud made an eight - day visit to Iraq . He was met on his arrival by King Faisel II , Crown Prince Abdul Ilah , and Prime Minister Nuri as - Said . It was the Saudi King ' s first ever visit to Iraq and it commemorated Iraq ' s membership in the Arab Federation and its break with the United Arab Republic of Gamal Abdel Nasser . 14 July Revolution . During the 14 July Revolution , Abdul Ilah was killed , along with most of the royal family . On 14 July 1958 , a " coup d ' état " led by Colonel Abdul Karim Qassim toppled the government and brought an end to the Iraqi monarchy . The body of Abdul Ilah was trailed on al Rashid street and was cut into pieces . According to the 21 July edition of Time Magazine , Gamal Abdel Nasser ' s " Middle East News Agency gleefully described the assassination of Crown Prince Abdul Illah : ' The people dragged Abdul Illah ' s body into the street like that of a dog and tore it limb from limb . ' Then the mobs burned the body . " Military ranks . ' Abd al - Ilah held the following ranks :