[3] He was the second and youngest son of Şehzade Mehmed Burhaneddin (Yıldız Palace, 19 December 1885 – New York City, United States, 15 June 1949, and buried in Damascus).

Ertuğrul Osman's mother was Burhaneddin's second consort, Aliye Melek Nazlıyar Hanım (Adapazarı, 13 October 1892 – Ankara, 31 August 1976), daughter of Hüseyin Bey.

Osman spoke Turkish, English, German and French fluently and understood Italian and Spanish.

[6] His body was interred next to his grandfather Sultan Abdul Hamid II in Istanbul's Çemberlitaş neighborhood.

[9] His coffin was draped with the Imperial Ottoman Standard and his funeral was attended by Turkish Government Ministers.