The Pahlavi Family

[Asma2]

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (October 26, 1919 - July 27, 1980) was the last Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 until 1979. He was born in Tehran, Iran.


Shah Mohammad Reza PahlaviAs a young man, he was educated at Institute Le Rosey, a Swiss finishing school and in Tehran at the Military College.

His father, Reza Pahlavi, (1877-1944), was minister of war and was elected by the Iranian Assembly as Shah in 1925. Concerned that Reza Pahlavi was about to align his petroleum-rich country with Germany during World War II, Britain and the USSR occupied Iran and forced him to resign in favor of his son. His mother was the shah's second wife, Tadj ol-Molouk (1896 - 1982).

At the end of the War, political unrest dogged Iran and in 1953 the nation's socialist Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh forced the Shah to flee the country. He was quickly escorted back to power by a joint military operation orchestrated by the American CIA and British MI5.

With Iran's great oil wealth, Pahlavi became the preeminent leader of the Middle East. He abolished the multiparty system of government so that elections for one party only allowed him to rule as an absolute dictator. During this time the Shah formalised his secret police force, SAVAK. Pahlavi made major changes to curb certain ancient elite factions by breaking up all large and middle-sized estates for the benefit of more than four million small farmers. In what was called 'the White Revolution', he took a number of populist measures, including extended suffrage to women, to favour the people.

His policies led to strong economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s but at the same time, opposition to his autocratic rule increased. On January 16, 1979 he and his family were forced to flee Iran a second time following a year of extreme turmoil and public protests. Following the Shah's departure, conservative Muslims led by the Ayatollah Khomeini staged a revolt, abolishing the monarchy and establishing an Islamic Republic.

The exiled monarch, now largely unpopular with much of the world traveled from country to country seeking what he believed would be a temporary residence. For a while he stayed in Paraguay, but his non-Hodgkins lymphoma began to grow worse, and demanded immediate and sophisticated treatment. Reluctantly, Jimmy Carter allowed the Shah to make a brief stopover in the United States, and undergo medical treatment. The compromise was extremely unpopular in Iran, where the new regime had now villified the Shah as a "blood sucker" and American stooge. Khomeini demanded the former monarch's return to Iran to face trial and execution for his alleged misdeeds. Once the Shah's treatment had finished, the American government, eager to avoid further controversy sent Pahlavi out of the country. He eventually settled in Egypt, where he remained until his death on July 27, 1980.

The last shah of Iran was married three times.

His first wife was Princess Fawzia of Egypt (born: November 5, 1921), the dazzlingly beautiful daughter of King Fuad I of Egypt and his wife, Nazli Sabri, and a sister of the notorious King Farouk I of Egypt; they married in 1939 and divorced in 1948, after her failure to produce an heir to the throne. They had one daughter, Shahnaz Pahlavi (born: October 27, 1940).

His second wife was Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiari (June 22, 1932-October 26, 2001), daughter of Khalil Esfandiary Bakhtiari, Ambassador of Iran to the Federal Republic of Germany, and his German wife, Eva Karl; they were married in 1951 and divorced in 1958 when it became apparent that she could not bear children. (Given the title Princess Soraya of Iran after the divorce, she later became a film actress, appearing the 1965 movie "Three Faces of a Woman," and mistress of its Italian director Franco Indovina, 1932-1972.) The shah's third wife was Farah Diba (born: October 14, 1938), daughter of Sohrab Diba, Capt., Imperial Iranian Army, and his wife, Faredeh Gothbi. They were married in 1959, and Farah was created Shahbanu, or empress, a title created especially for her (previous royal wives had been known as Malika, or queen); she bore him four children:
Cyrus Reza (born: October 31, 1960)
Yasmina Farahnaz (born: March 12, 1963)
Ali-Reza Pahlavi (born: April 28, 1966)
Leila Pahlavi (March 27, 1970 - June 10, 2001)

[Sean.~]

I thought some of you might be interested in knowing that Yasmine Pahlavi gave birth to her third daughter yesterday. The infant has been named Farah, after her paternal grandmother.

[Danjel]

Not a picture of the third princess yet, but a nice one of her sister HIH Princess Noor in 1997

[Danjel]

TIH Princess Noor and Princess Iman in 1997

[Danjel]

Yasmine Pahlavi and her second daughter Iman

[sol_anglada]

Congratulations to all the Iranian Royal Family!!!!

Sol

[Alexandria]

From the Glittering Royals Message Board: The first photo of HIH Farah Pahlavi, Princess of Iran.

Baby Farah

[synthia]

Originally posted by MihoshiMarie@Jul 18th, 2003 - 10:22 pm
Wow, I didn't realize it, but she does kinda look like Jennifer...

yes she does

[rain]

Some defintions of the titles in the Iranian monarchy:


Shahdokht: 'King's daughter', the title of a Princess of the Pahlavi dynasty.
Shahpur: 'King's son', the title of a Prince of the Pahlavi dynasty.
Shahanshah: 'King of Kings', i.e. Emperor.
Shahbanu: 'Lady of the Shah', i.e. Empress.
Vala Gohar: the style borne by the sons of a Princess of the Pahlavi dynasty, translated as Prince with the style of His Highness.
Vala Gohari: the style borne by the daughters of a Princess of the Pahlavi dynasty, translated as Princess with the style of Her Highness.



And some information re Anahita Pahlbod [Ann Claire Van Shaick].
born in Tehran, July 1973.

She is the grand-daughter of Princess Shams, the Shah's sister, from her son: H.H. Prince (Vala Gohar) Shahboz Pahlbod. Her mother was H.H. Princess (Vala Gohari) Boutoudine Pahlbod (b. September 1946), née Beatrice Young.

So basically, Ann Claire is a princess through her mother's lineage (although in Farsi she is referred to as Vala Gohari to make the distinction), and she is referred to as H.H. However, she is NOT a Pahlavi and even though she is using a composite name, it should be Pahlbod and not Pahlavi. I just wonder where she got the "Van Shaick" from. Her mother's family name was Young....

Information obtained from: http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Persia/pahlavi2.htm

[hania]

How could the shah have a daughter in 2001.He should have been 82 and the empress 69.And he die way before 2001!

[Dennism]

One of them has a book out now. I saw it at the bookstore.

[Gabriella]

Originally posted by Dennism@Mar 29th, 2004 - 3:15 pm
One of them has a book out now. I saw it at the bookstore.

I think it's Farah Pahlavi. I remember something about her being on 20/20 with Barbara Walters a few weeks ago. I think it had something to do about her book. I think it was a memoir

[sol_anglada]

Do you know if it's possible to get by Internet a video of this interview?

Thanks

[sommone]

What happened to Leila?

[sol_anglada]

About the Princess Leila's death there are 2 teories: the first one says that she died because she took some pills that she dind't have to take, so it was her mistake. This is the official version given by her mother, Empress Farah, and we don't have any reason for not believe it. On the other hand, others say that it was a suicide, eating many pills.

Sol

[abir]

Is Cyrus Reza considered now as the Shah of iran, is this true?
I am asking because even european royals who are in exile still "keep or use" outside of their countries of origin, their titles and also go to their sons.
Cyrus Reza has now three daughters and not yet a son. Do you think if one of his girls can be "shahbanou" of iran if he can't have a son, or does the title will go to his brother and his children? Thanks.

[sol_anglada]

Originally Posted by abir

Is Cyrus Reza considered now as the Shah of iran, is this true?
I am asking because even european royals who are in exile still "keep or use" outside of their countries of origin, their titles and also go to their sons.
Cyrus Reza has now three daughters and not yet a son. Do you think if one of his girls can be "shahbanou" of iran if he can't have a son, or does the title will go to his brother and his children? Thanks.

Yes, Reza Pahlavi, the oldest son of the Shah Mohammad Rez Pahlavi and his wife the Shahbanou Farah is the current Shah of Iran. I think the current Shah hasn't renounced to his tittle and he uses it. O the other hand, it's true that he and his wife, Pricess Yasmine have three girls. According to His Majesty, it doesn't mean any problem because the only thing the Iranians should do i the case that the Monarchy returned in power was to change the legal Iranian Constitution and to allow a woman to become the first "Shah" of Iran.

[abir]

Originally Posted by sol_anglada

Yes, Reza Pahlavi, the oldest son of the Shah Mohammad Rez Pahlavi and his wife the Shahbanou Farah is the current Shah of Iran. I think the current Shah hasn't renounced to his tittle and he uses it. O the other hand, it's true that he and his wife, Pricess Yasmine have three girls. According to His Majesty, it doesn't mean any problem because the only thing the Iranians should do i the case that the Monarchy returned in power was to change the legal Iranian Constitution and to allow a woman to become the first "Shah" of Iran.

Thanks sol for the answer.

[sol_anglada]

Originally Posted by abir

Thanks sol for the answer.

I'm happy to help you, I don't know too much but if I can help you I feel very happy

[abir]

Thanks sol. The Pahlavi family and the history of Iran is very interesting.