 Their mother was a Lebanese-born to an Armenian family, Princess Shahida, (died 1938), who reportedly was the favorite wife of Ibn Saud.Prince Mishaal served as the Minister of Defense from 12 May 1951 to 1953.He replaced his full brother Prince Mansour as minister of defense when he died of alcohol poisoning after a party hosted by then-Riyadh governor Nasser bin Abdulaziz in 1951.