Just three years later, her husband became a household name after joining a coup led by Gamel Abdel Nasser that ousted the British-backed king in Egypt from power, and changed the course of Egyptian politics forever. Anwar Sadat went on to take several high-level posts, culminating in his election as president, after Nasser’s death in 1970. Jehan was determined to play a more active role than the wives of previous leaders and was frequently photographed alongside her husband on official visits abroad and in more intimate settings, at home with their family.
