His mother was Verdicenan Kadın,[2] daughter of Prince Kaytuk Giorgi Achba and Princess Yelizaveta Hanım.

In 1861 his mother adopted a four years old Mediha Sultan, daughter of Abdülmecid I and Gülistu Kadin and so half-sister of Ahmed Kemaleddin, who had just lost both parents.

[7] Kemaleddin like his brothers, Sultan Murad V and Şehzade Ahmed Nureddin joined Proodos ("Progress" in Greek) Masonic lodge in 1875.

[14] It is said that in the days when Abdul Hamid was a Prince, Kemaleddin once ran into pressing financial difficulties.

He applied to the wealthy Abdul Hamid for funds and even sent over valuable objects as security for a loan.

[15] During the incident Ali Suavi, the radical political opponent of Abdul Hamid's authoritarian regime stormed the palace with a band of armed refugees from the recent Russo-Turkish War.

[12] Ali Suavi's men were unable to overcome the fierce resistance of the Beşiktaş police prefect, Hacı Hasan Pasha.

Although he officially died of natural causes, persistent rumors claim he was killed on the orders of Abdul Hamid II.