There are some people whose life story is truly worthy of a movie. Among those people would be the last queen of Iran, Farah Pahlavi, widow of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Although she and her family had to leave Iran in January 1979 after the Islamic Revolution, which led to a massive hatred against the monarchy and a fear of safety.
While they had some difficulty in finding asylum due to the revolutionary government’s order for the arrest and death of the Shah and Shahbanu, they did get admission into Egypt. They were then allowed into the United States for a short time, and after the Shah’s death, Farah returned to Egypt, then to the United States, and finally to Paris.
Life And Marriage
Farah Pahlavi was born as Farah Diba on October, 14, 1938 in Tehran. The only child of Captain Sohrab Diba, an Iranian military officer, and Farideh Ghotbi. She attended Tehran’s Italian School and then, having an interest in architecture, pursued her studies at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris.
This was also interesting, since at the time Iran only had one other female architect. It was here, though, that she caught the eye of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, in 1959.
As per an interview, she first met him at the house of his daughter from his first marriage, and was reportedly not aware he would be in attendance. She said, “I had gone there to see [his daughter] and then suddenly, his majesty appears. I say to myself: ‘OK, he has come to see his daughter’.”
They met a few more times before he asked to marry her at the age of 21, with their wedding taking place on December 20, 1959. Her importance was made clear during the 1967 Coronation Ceremonies when she was crowned as the first Shahbanu (empress) of modern Iran, and even made regent, should the Shah die before the Crown Prince’s 21st birthday, something unheard of for a female monarch in a Muslim country.
At one point, Pahlavi was a symbol of a modern and Western-looking Iran. Her beauty and sense of style were also heavily appreciated, with some calling her the Jackie Kennedy of the East.
Historian Andrew Scott Cooper in his book The Fall of Heaven, The Pahlavis and the Final Days of Imperial Iran, also talked about how during her official 1962 visit to the US put even Kennedy to shame with her jewels and clothes.
He wrote how she wore “jewel-encrusted gown spun of gold thread, a diamond and emerald necklace, and a diamond-encrusted tiara that resembled a bird’s nest holding seven giant emeralds the size of robins’ eggs”.
Farah Pahlavi, during her exile, also witnessed the suicide of her two children, daughter Leila and son Ali-Reza, in 2001 and 2010, respectively. Both were said to be suffering from depression, with Leila taking her life by swallowing 270 sleeping pills while her son shot himself.
Even so, Pahlavi still continues to remain an active member of society, speaking up for Iran and its people, advocating for their freedom, encouraging women’s empowerment, charity, and more.
Read More: Hijab Was Once Banned In Iran; From There To Women Protesting Its Enforcement Today
Ready To Call Out Those In Power
Pahlavi has also spoken several times of wanting freedom for Iran and the country’s global image to get better.
In a 2018 interview with The Times, she said, “Now you say you’re from Iran and people look at you as if you’d said you come from God knows where. For 90 countries in the world, Iranians didn’t need a visa. Now, even with a foreign passport, they stop you at the frontier with 10,000 questions.”
She also hopes for the fall of the ayatollahs’ regime, saying, “I always remain positive,” and how “It’s unbelievable really that a country like Iran with such a great civilisation and history should be ruled by these people.”
In another The Times interview, she talked about how she still gets calls from Iranian citizens, offering their support to her.
Pahlavi said, “They send me emails with their telephone numbers. And I call them, and it’s very strange because they recognise my voice. And they say: ‘Hello shahbanu [queen consort]’. And I say: ‘Don’t say that’ because I’m afraid the [Iranian] government is listening to them. “But after all the lies that [Iran’s religious rulers] have said about us … I am very happy to see and hear the sympathy and kindness of my compatriots before I die.”
She’s even called out President Trump for even considering changing the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Gulf, stating, “The Persian Gulf has been the Persian Gulf for centuries… I mean, they cannot just change the name because of their interest.”
Work In Culture And Women’s Empowerment
Pahlavi wasn’t just known for her beauty and status as queen, but also for her work in promoting culture in Iran and the empowerment of women.
According to Iran Wire, it is believed that Farah played a significant role in the passage of the 1975 Family Protection Law. This law, while still having room for improvement, did allow women more rights in matters of divorce, husbands to take multiple wives, alimony, and child custody. The law also raised the minimum age of marriage for women from 13 to 18.
However, this law was annulled by the new government after the Islamic Revolution.
Pahlavi is also said to have worked for women’s education and participation in various fields such as teaching, medicine, and law. Her image as a modern educated woman is also said to have helped in the perception of women’s role in society.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: News18, BBC, The Indian Express
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