Queen Soraya of Iran, on the cover of the Italian magazine Epoca, in 1953.

See also the Soraya disambiguation page.

Soraya Esfandiary (Persian: ثریا اسفندیاری‎, UniPers: Sorayâ Asfandiyâri) (June 22, 1932 - October 26, 2001) was the second wife and Queen consort of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (527x677, 74 KB) Summary From the cover of a 1953 issue of the Italian magazine EPOCA. Licensing This image is of a magazine cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the magazine or... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (527x677, 74 KB) Summary From the cover of a 1953 issue of the Italian magazine EPOCA. Licensing This image is of a magazine cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the magazine or... Soraya is a Colombian-American singer. ... Persian (local name: FārsÄ« or PārsÄ«) is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Romanization of Persian. ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2001. ... King George V of the United Kingdom and his consort, Queen Mary A queen consort is the wife and consort of a reigning king. ... His Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (اعلیحضرت محمدرضا شاه پهلوی; October 26, 1919 – July 27, 1980) also knows as Aryamehr, was the last Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 until... One of the worlds longest-lasting monarchies, the Iranian monarchy went through many transformations over the centuries, from the days of Persia to the creation of what is now modern day Iran. ...

Though her husband's title, Shahanshah (King of Kings), is the equivalent of emperor, it was not until 1967 that a complementary feminine title, Shahbanu, was created to designate the wife of a Shah. Until then, wives of Shahs, including Soraya, bore the title Malakeh (Arabic: Malika, English: Queen), though in the popular press they frequently and incorrectly were called Empress. Darius the Great, the first to bear the title Shahanshah. ... Shahbanu (in Persian: شهبانو) means Empress in Persian. ... Malika is the female version of the word Malik that means King in Arabic. ...

Birth

Born in Isfahan, Persia, Soraya Esfandiary was the eldest child and only daughter of Khalil Esfandiary -- a notable of the powerful Bakhtiari tribe of southern Iran who was the Iranian ambassador to West Germany in the 1950s -- and his Russian-born German wife, Eva Klein. She had one brother, Bijan. Part of Shah Abbas large urban project in his new capital, the Chahār Bāgh Four Gardens, is a four-kilometer avenue in the city of Isfahan. ... Motto: de facto: Esteqlāl, āzādÄ«, jomhÅ«rÄ«-ye eslāmÄ«[]   (Persian for Independence, freedom, (the) Islamic Republic de jure: Allaho Akbar (Arabic for God is Great)[1] Anthem: SorÅ«d-e MellÄ«-e Īrān Capital (and largest city) Tehran Persian Government Islamic Republic  - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali... The Bakhtiari (or Bakhtiyari) are a group of southwestern Iranian people. ...

Her family had long been involved in the Iranian government and diplomatic corps. An uncle, Sardar Assad, was a leader in the Iranian constitutional movement of the early 20th century.^[1] Sardar Assad Bakhtiar (born Ali Quli Khan) was a Bakhtiari Haft Lang tribal leader and one of the primary figures of the Persian Constitutional Revolution. ...

Marriage to the Shah

The green-eyed Soraya, an Ava Gardner lookalike, was introduced to the recently divorced Shah in Paris in 1948 by Forough Zafar Bakhtiari, a relative, when she was still a student at a Swiss finishing school.^[2] Soon engaged (the Shah gave her a 22.37-carat diamond engagement ring),[1] she married him at Golestan Palace in Tehran on February 12, 1951; originally, the couple had planned to wed on 27 December 1950, but the ceremony had to be postponed due to the bride being ill.^[3] Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. ... A view of the Gulistan Palaces garden from Khalvat e Karimkhani. ... Tehran (IPA: ; Persian: تهران, Middle Persian: طھران, also transliterated as Teheran or Tehrān), population (as of 2005) 7,314,000 (metropolitan: 12,151,000), and a land area of 658 square kilometers (254 sq mi), is the capital city of Iran (Persia) and the center of Tehran Province. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (362nd in leap years). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Though the Shah announced that guests should donate money to a special charity for the Iranian poor, among the wedding gifts was a mink coat and a desk set set with black diamonds sent by Joseph Stalin, a Steuben glass Bowl of Legends designed by Sidney Waugh and sent by U.S. President and Mrs. Truman, and silver Georgian candlesticks from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, ^[4], and the 2,000 guests included Aga Khan III. The ceremony was decorated with 1.5 tons of orchids, tulips, and carnations, sent by plane from the Netherlands, and entertainment included an equestrian circus sent from Rome.^[5] The bride wore a silver lamé gown studded with pearls and trimmed with marabou feathers,^[6] designed for the occasion by Christian Dior. She also wore a full-length female white-mink cape. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor) (14 December 1895 - 6 February 1952) became the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Emperor of India, upon the unexpected abdication of his brother, Edward VIII. He reigned from 11 December 1936 until his death. ... Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite; 4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was the Queen Consort of King George VI from 1936 until his death in 1952. ... Aga Khan III, founder of the Muslim League The Aga Khan III (Persian: آغا خان الثالث), GCIE, PC, (November 2, 1877 – July 11, 1957), also known as Sir Sultan Mahommed Shah, (Persian: سلطان محمد شاه), was the 48th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,500 km²  (580 sq mi... Binomial name Leptoptilos crumeniferus (Lesson, 1831) The Marabou Stork, Leptoptilos crumeniferus, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. ... Dior Logo Christian Dior (January 21, 1905 – October 24, 1957), was an influential French fashion designer. ...

Infertility and divorce

Though the wedding took place during a heavy snow, deemed a good omen, the imperial couple's marriage had disintegrated by early 1958 over Soraya's apparent infertility, for which she had sought treatment in Switzerland and France, and the Shah's suggestion that he take a second wife in order to produce an heir.^[7] She left Iran in February and eventually went to her parents' home in Cologne, Germany, where the Shah sent his wife's uncle Senator Sardar Assad Bakhtiari in early March 1958, in a failed attempt to convince her to return to Iran.^[8] On 10 March, a council of advisors met with the Shah to discuss the situation of the troubled marriage and the lack of an a heir.^[9] Four days later, it was announced that the imperial couple would divorce. It was, the 25-year-old queen said, "a sacrifice of my own happiness."^[10] She later told reporters that her husband had no choice but to divorce her.He was very sad about it.^[11] Cologne (German:   ; Kölsch: Kölle /ˈkÅ“É«É™/) is Germanys fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than... Sardar Assad Bakhtiar (born Ali Quli Khan) was a Bakhtiari Haft Lang tribal leader and one of the primary figures of the Persian Constitutional Revolution. ...

On 21 March 1958, the Iranian New Year's Day, a weeping Shah announced his divorce to the Iranian people in a speech that was broadcast on radio and television and said that he would not remarry in haste. The headline-making divorce inspired French songwriter Françoise Mallet-Jorris to write a hit pop song, "Je veux pleurer comme Soraya" (I Want to Cry Like Soraya). The marriage was officially ended on April 6, 1958. April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

According to a report in The New York Times, extensive negotiations had preceded the divorce in order to convince Queen Soraya to allow her husband to take a second wife, as was allowed by his Muslim faith. The Queen, however, citing what she called her European principles regarding the sanctity of marriage, stated that "she could not accept the idea of sharing her husband's love with another woman."^[12]

In a statement issued to the Iranian people from her parents' home in Germany, Soraya said, "Since His Imperial Majesty Riza [sic] Shah Pahlevi [sic] has deemed it necessary that a successor to the throne must be of direct descent in the male line from generation to generation to generation, I will with my deepest regret in the interest of the future of the State and of the welfare of the people in accordance with the desire of His Majesty the Emperor sacrifice my own happiness, and I will declare my consent to a separation from His Imperial Majesty."^[13]

After the divorce, the Shah, who told a reporter who asked about his feelings for the former Queen that "nobody can carry a torch longer than me," indicated his interest in marrying Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, a daughter of the deposed Italian king Umberto II. Pope John XXIII reportedly vetoed the suggestion. In an editorial about the rumors surrounding the marriage of "a Muslim sovereign and a Catholic princess", the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, considered the match "a grave danger."^[14] Maria Gabriella di Savoia (Naples, 24 February 1940) complete name Maria Gabriella Giuseppa Aldegonda Adelaide Daisy Ludovica Felicita Gennara, is daughter of the last King of Italy Umberto II and José. Maria married to 12 Saint-Mesme February 1955 Robert Zellinger de Balkany (NATO to Iklod, 4 Hungary August 1931). ... Umberto II, occasionally anglicized as Humbert II, (September 15, 1904 - March 18, 1983), the last King of Italy, nicknamed the King of May (Italian Re di Maggio), was born the Prince of Piedmont. ... The Blessed John XXIII wearing a Papal Tiara Angelo Roncalli was born in Sotto il Monte (province of Bergamo), Italy on November 25, 1881. ... Masthead LOsservatore Romano is the Vaticans newspaper. ...

Career as actress and depression

Granted the style and title Her Imperial Highness the Princess Soraya of Iran, the former queen moved to France.

Princess Soraya launched a brief career as a film actress, for which she used only her first name. Initially, it was announced that she would portray Catherine the Great in a movie about the Russian empress by Dino De Laurentiis, but that project fell through.^[15] Instead, she starred in the 1965 movie Les trois visages d'une femme (Three Faces of a Woman) and became the companion of its Italian director, Franco Indovina (1932-1972). After Indovina's death in a plane crash, she spent the remainder of her life unhappily, by her own admission, wandering through Europe, buying antiques and couture, appearing at social events in a desultory fashion, and generally becoming known as a serious depressive. Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from... Agostino De Laurentiis, usually credited as Dino De Laurentiis, (born August 8, 1919) is an Italian movie producer born at Torre Annunziata in the province of Naples. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ...

Death

Princess Soraya of Iran died of undisclosed causes in her apartment in Paris, France; she was 69. After a funeral at the American Cathedral in Paris on 6 November 2001—which was attended by Princess Ashraf Pahlavi, Prince Gholam Reza Pahlavi, the Count and Countess of Paris, the Prince and Princess of Naples, Prince Michel of Orléans, and Princess Ira von Fürstenberg—she was buried in the Westfriedhof, a cemetery in Munich, Germany, along with her parents and brother.[2] In 2002, her tomb was defaced with the words "miserable parasite," followed by the phrase "Didn't work from the ages of 25 to 60." The vandalism made headlines throughout Europe. The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 55 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2001. ... Born on October 26th, 1919, H.I.H. Princess (Shahdokht) Ashraf ul-Mulk (H.I.H. Princess Ashraf Pahlavi) was the twin sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran and the Pahlavi Dynasty. ... Henri Philippe Pierre Marie dOrléans, Comte de Paris, Duc de France is the Orleanist pretender to the French throne. ... Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples (Vittorio Emanuele Alberto Carlo Teodoro Umberto Bonifacio Amadeo Damiano Bernardino Gennaro Maria di Savoia) (born February 12, 1937) was the last Crown Prince of Italy and is considered to be a pretender to the defunct Italian throne. ... Princess Ira zu Fürstenberg (born April 18, 1940) is a European socialite, actress, jewelry designer, and a former public relations manager for the fashion designer Valentino Garavani. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: München pronunciation) is the state capital of the German Bundesland of Bavaria. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Upon learning of her death, her younger brother, Bijan, who died in Paris, one week after Soraya, sadly commented, "After her, I don't have anyone to talk to." Since Soraya's death, several young women have come forward claiming to be her illegitimate daughter, reportedly born in 1962, according to the Persian-language weekly Nimrooz; the claims have not been confirmed.[3]. The newspaper also published an article in 2001 which suggested, without proof, that Princess Soraya and her brother had been murdered.[4] 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...

The former queen's belongings were sold at auction in Paris after her death, for more than $8.3 million. Her Dior wedding dress brought $1.2 million. City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region ÃŽle-de-France Department Paris (75) Subdivisions 20 arrondissements Mayor Bertrand Delanoë  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land area¹ 86. ...

Memoirs

Princess Soraya wrote two memoirs. The first, published in 1964 and published in the United States by Doubleday, was Princess Soraya: Autobiography of Her Imperial Highness. A decade before her death, she and a collaborator, Louis Valentin, wrote another memoir in French, Le Palais des Solitudes, which was translated into English as Palace of Solitude (London: Quartet Books Ltd, 1992); ISBN 0-7043-7020-4. 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Trivia

The French rose grower, François Meilland, bred a rose in the former queen's honor, which he called 'Empress Soraya'.^[16]

A French television movie about the princess's life, "Soraya" (a.k.a. "Sad Princess") was broadcast in 2003, starring Anna Valle (Miss Italy 1995) as Soraya and Erol Sander as the shah. French actress Mathilda May appeared as the shah's sister, Princess Shams Pahlavi. Mathilda May is a French actress, born on February 8, 1965, in Paris, France. ...

References

1. ^ Shah To Wed, Iran Hears, The New York Times, 10 October 1950, p. 12.
2. ^ Shah To Wed, Iran Hears, The New York Times, 10 October 1950, p. 12.
3. ^ Wedding of Shah Postponed, The New York Times, 22 December 1950, p. 10.
4. ^ Teheran Awaits Wedding, The New York Times, 11 February 1951, p. 35
5. ^ Iran's Shah To Wed In Splendor Today, The New York Times, 12 February 1951, p. 6.
6. ^ Shah of Iran Wed in Palatial Rites, The New York Times, 13 February 1951, p. 14,
7. ^ Iran Shah Divorces His Childless Queen, The New York Times, 14 March 1958, p. 2.
8. ^ Shah's Plea to Queen Held Vain, The New York Times, 6 March 1958, p. 3.
9. ^ Iran Decision Pending, The New York Times, 11 March 1958, p. 2.
10. ^ Queen of Iran Accepts Divorce As Sacrifice, The New York Times, 15 March 1958, p. 4.
11. ^ Soraya Arrives for U.S. Holiday, The New York Times, 23 April 1958, p. 35.
12. ^ Iran Shah Divorces His Childless Queen, The New York Times, 14 March 1958, p. 2.
13. ^ Queen of Iran Accepts Divorce As Sacrifice, The New York Times, 15 March 1958, p. 4.
14. ^ Paul Hofmann, Pope Bans Marriage of Princess to Shah, The New York Times, 24 February 1959, p. 1.
15. ^ Soraya Taking Screen Role, The New York Times, 8 October 1963, p. 48.
16. ^ François Meilland, 46, The New York Times, 17 June 1958, p. 29.

Titles from birth to death

• Miss Soraya Esfandiary
• Her Imperial Majesty the Queen of Iran
• Her Imperial Highness the Princess Soraya of Iran

External links

• Photo gallery
• Another gallery of her