Sultan Abdülmecid’s Relief Efforts

Did you know that Sultan Abdülmecid of the Ottoman Empire was so moved by the plight of Ireland’s famine in the 1840s that he donated £1,000 to relief efforts? Initially, he is said to have offered £10,000 (the equivalent today of around ‚¬1m) to help ease the suffering. However, Queen Victoria, upon learning of his generous charity, requested that he reduce his donation to a more modest £1,000, so as not to embarrass her own relatively meagre offering of £2,000. A letter written by Irish nobles (pictured) in the Ottoman archives explicitly thanks Sultan Abdülmecid for the help.