Princess Ayn-al-Hayat was born on 5 October 1858, and was the eldest daughter of Prince Ahmad Rifa"at Pasha, sometime President of Council of State and his second wife Dilbar Jahan Khanum. Ayn-al-Hayat, was still a child when her father met his tragic education
She was the first wife of Hussein Kamel of Egypt. Dark, petite, and vivacious, she had great charm. Medical and financial advisers were the only men consulted.
The funds were chiefly supplied from the Princess"s own resources and by donations from the Khedival family, as it then existed.
According to the rules of the society, the president was always to be a princess of the ruling family. Princess Ayn-al-Hayat died on 12 August 1910 at Paris, France and was buried in the mausoleum of Hosh al-Basha, Imam al-Shafi"i, Cairo.
After her death, Princess Nazli Halim became the president of Muhammad Ali Benevolent Society. She was followed by Princess Fawzia, who was the president of the organization to come from the royal house.
The members of its community were all women, something till then unheard of in the annals of the Middle East.
