What is the story about?
Almost 60 years ago, Iran witnessed a moment that quietly rewrote royal history. A young woman in her twenties stepped forward at Golestan Palace, not
merely as a consort, but as an empress in her own right. Farah Pahlavi became the first woman in Iranian history and the wider Muslim world to be formally crowned. It was an event heavy with ambition, symbolism, and a sense of modernity. It defined an era and foreshadowed its dramatic end. Farah Pahlavi’s life reads like an intriguing historical novel. She started her privileged life in Tehran and went to Paris for her studies. From her imperial grandeur to her unpredictable exile, Farah Pahlavi’s journey reflects Iran’s own turbulent 20th century. Cultured yet deeply pragmatic, elegant yet resilient, she remains one of the most fascinating royal figures of the modern age.
Farah Diba’s Childhood and Early Influences
Born in Tehran in 1938, Farah Diba's (earlier called) father, Captain Sohrab Diba, was a graduate of France’s prestigious military academy at Saint-Cyr, and her mother was Farideh Ghotbi. Her upbringing was comfortable but not untouched by hardship. The sudden death of her father in 1948 altered the family’s financial security and emotional stability, a loss Farah would later describe as deeply formative.
Her roots reflected Iran’s diversity. Her father’s family hailed from Iranian Azerbaijan, while her mother’s lineage traced back to Lahijan near the Caspian Sea. Intellect and diplomacy ran in the family. Her grandfather had once worked as the Persian ambassador to the Russian imperial court. Her relatives included politicians, architects, and museum curators. This blend of culture, discipline, and curiosity shaped Farah's personality long before the crown entered her life.
Education in Paris and a Future Interrupted
Farah’s schooling reflected Iran’s cosmopolitan elite. She attended Tehran’s Italian School, followed by the French Jeanne d’Arc School, and later Lycée Razi. Sporty and competitive, she captained her school basketball team. In Paris, Farah enrolled at the École Spéciale d’Architecture, studying under Albert Besson. At the time, many Iranian students abroad relied on state scholarships, which meant encounters with the Shah during official visits were common. Farah met Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1559, during a gathering at the Iranian Embassy in Paris. The meeting was brief, polite, and utterly inconsequential.
A Royal Marriage Watched by the World
The engagement was announced in November 1959. A month later, Farah Diba married the Shah, becoming Queen of Iran at just 21. The wedding drew intense global attention, not least because the Shah’s previous marriages had failed to produce a male heir. The pressure on the young queen was immense.
Her wedding gown was designed by Yves Saint Laurent, then at the House of Dior, and she wore the Noor-ol-Ain diamond tiara. Within a year, the birth of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi secured the succession and transformed Farah’s position at court.
Motherhood and the Imperial Family
Farah and the Shah had four children: Crown Prince Reza, Princess Farahnaz, Prince Ali Reza, and Princess Leila. Later generations would grow up largely in exile, shaped by tragedy as much as privilege. Yet during the 1960s and early 1970s, the imperial family symbolised continuity, modernisation, and hope for many Iranians.
Why Was Farah Pahlavi Crowned Empress?
On 26 October 1967, Iran staged a coronation unlike any before it. The Shah crowned himself Emperor, then placed the crown upon Farah’s head, formally elevating her to Shahbanu, Empress of Iran. This was not a decorative gesture. She was named regent should the Shah die before the Crown Prince came of age, an extraordinary role for a woman in a Middle Eastern monarchy.
The coronation took place at Golestan Palace, steeped in Persian royal tradition. The ceremony blended ancient symbolism with modern spectacle, reflecting the Shah’s vision of Iran as both heir to a 2,500-year civilisation and a forward-looking nation.
How Was Farah Pahlavi’s Crown Created?
The Empress’s crown was as unprecedented as her title. Commissioned in 1966, it was crafted entirely from gems belonging to Iran’s National Treasury, which by law could not leave the country. To solve this, the Shah enlisted Van Cleef & Arpels. Pierre Arpels, a leading figure at the maison, made 24 trips to Tehran over six months. Working in absolute secrecy inside the Central Bank’s vault, he selected each stone by hand. The final crown contained 1,469 diamonds, 36 emeralds, 36 rubies and spinels, 105 pearls, and a commanding central emerald estimated between 92 and 150 carats. It weighed nearly two kilograms and was lined with emerald-green velvet.
The design leaned European rather than traditionally Persian, inspired in part by Farah’s admiration for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Yet its structure cleverly balanced grandeur with wearability, placing the largest gem above the forehead and tapering towards the back.
Jewellery Fit for an Empress
The crown was accompanied by emerald drop earrings and a necklace of remarkable complexity. An engraved hexagonal emerald formed the centrepiece, surrounded by emerald-cut stones, pear-shaped pearls, yellow diamonds, and antique-style cuts. Van Cleef & Arpels also created parures for other royal women for the coronation, turning the event into a masterclass in high jewellery.
A Lifestyle of Culture, Not Excess
As an architecture student turned empress, Farah took a hands-on interest in libraries, museums, and urban design. She founded Pahlavi University, now Shiraz University, Iran’s first American-style university, and championed women’s education at a national level.
Her patronage transformed Iran’s cultural landscape. She supported traditional arts such as carpet weaving and poetry while also backing modern theatre and international festivals. The Shiraz Arts Festival, though controversial, placed Iran firmly on the global cultural map.
Building Iran’s Museums and Art Legacy
One of Farah’s most enduring legacies lies in Iran’s museums. She spearheaded efforts to repatriate ancient Iranian artefacts scattered across foreign collections and helped establish institutions such as the Reza Abbasi Museum, the National Carpet Gallery, and the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran.
Her influence extended to contemporary art. Under her guidance, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art acquired works by Picasso, Monet, Warhol, Pollock, and Lichtenstein during a dip in the global art market. Today, the collection is valued in the billions and remains one of the most significant outside Europe and the United States.
Revolution, Exile, and Loss
By 1978, unrest had engulfed Iran. Demonstrations intensified, and by January 1979, the Shah and Empress were forced to leave the country under threat of execution. What followed was a restless exile across Egypt, Morocco, the Bahamas, Mexico, the United States, Panama, and back to Egypt.
Shah’s death in 1980 marked the end of an era. Farah, widowed and displaced, suffered another heartbreak when her two children died years later. Yet she endured, continuing her charitable work and speaking candidly about her mistakes and regrets.
Farah Pahlavi Today
Now dividing her time between Paris and Washington, Farah Pahlavi remains a dignified witness to history. She attends select royal events, supports Alzheimer’s research, and grants thoughtful interviews reflecting on Iran, monarchy, and exile. Her crown remains locked away in Tehran’s Treasury, unseen and heavily guarded, much like the chapter of history it represents.
Farah Pahlavi’s story is not just about jewels and palaces. It is about ambition, culture, courage, and the fragile line between power and impermanence. In that sense, she remains not only Iran’s last Empress, but one of its most compelling figures.
