Nearly 6 decades ago, Iran witnessed a historic moment, the one that reshaped the royal legacy. Farah Pahlavi, a young woman in her 20s, became the first consort in Iranian history and anywhere within the Muslim world to be crowned.
She stepped forward at Golestan Palace as an empress to write a new era.
Who is Farah Pahlavi?
The last Shah of Iran, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, commissioned the priceless crown for his 3rd wife, Farah Pahlavi (Farah Diba) in 1966. She was born in 1938 in Tehran. Her father, Captain Sohrab Diba, was a graduate of the prestigious military academy at Saint-Cyr in France, while her mother's name was Farideh Ghotbi.
Her life has been described as an intriguing historical novel. She and her husband, Reza Pahlavi, were exiled in 1979 as part of the Iranian revolution. After the death of her father in 1948, the ex-empress of Iran married the last Shah of Iran in 1959. Before that, she went to study architecture in Paris. At the age of 87, she still remains one of the most fascinating royal figures in modern history.
Farah married Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1959
Farah was first introduced to Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi at an embassy reception in Paris and married him in 1959. Her wedding gown is said to have been designed by Yves Saint Laurent, then at the House of Dior. Her position at court was secured within a year after the birth of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. Princess Farahnaz, Prince Ali Reza, and Princess Leila were born later.
Family roots
Her father's family hails from Azerbaijan in Iran, while her mother's roots trace back to Lahijan near the Caspian Sea. Farah went to Tehran's Italian School, then studied at the French Jeanne d'Arc School, followed by Lycée Razi. Reports say that she was the basketball team captain in school.
Interests
The Empress took a hands-on interest in museums, libraries, and urban design. She founded Iran's first American-style university, Pahlavi University, now known as Shiraz University and also ,championed women's education at a national level.
Left Iran with husband in 1979
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Farah Pahlavi left Iran on January 16, 1979, two weeks before Islamic revolution leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's return to the country. Her husband breathed his last in 1980.
The priceless crown crafted secretly in Tehran's Bank vault
The crown was unlike any other. It was adorned with gems from Iran's National Treasure, kept in the royal vault at the Central Bank in Tehran. According to Iranian traditions, the precious stones were not forbidden to be taken out of the country, so French merchants were called in from the luxury jewelry company Van Cleef & Arpels, according to reports. The imperial consort crown was built in complete secrecy, with the drawing being selected out of 50 submissions.
The final crown was adorned with 1,469 diamonds, 105 pearls, 36 rubies and spinels, 36 emeralds, and a commanding central emerald worth 92 and 150 carats. It weighed almost 2 kg and was lined with emerald-green velvet, accompanied by emerald drop earrings and a remarkable necklace.
She currently lives in…
While her crown remains locked in Iran, she is living in exile in the United States.