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Oct 16, 2024 · The tragic true story of ‘the princess with the sad eyes’, Soraya of Iran, 23 years on from her death. Despite her divorce from the Shah of Iran in 1958 (after she failed to produce an heir), the couple remained in love until his death in 1980. By Dora Davies-Evitt.
Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary (Persian: ثریا اسفندیاری بختیاری, romanized: Sorayâ Esfandiâri-Baxtiâri; 22 June 1932 – 25 October 2001) was Queen of Iran as the second wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whom she married in 1951. Their marriage suffered many pressures, particularly when it became clear that she was infertile.
- She Was A Spoiled Heiress. Soraya was groomed for a royal destiny from the very start. The only daughter of Iranian nobleman Khalil Esfandiary and his wife, the German heiress Eva Karl, Soraya grew up in luxury and spent her adolescence shuttling between Berlin and Isfahan while attending the best finishing schools.
- She Had A Foul Temper. Soraya was famous for her half-Iranian, half-German good looks even as a gangly teen—but underneath she wasn't so pretty. She had a notoriously Teutonic, brusque manner coupled with a bad temper, and could snap in an instant when someone annoyed her.
- A Single Photo Made Her Queen. Soraya’s legendary beauty preceded her, quite literally. Around 1948, the Queen Mother of Iran, Tadj ol-Molouk, was on the lookout to get her son Shah Mohammad Reza a new wife.
- She Was Too Young. The Queen Mother was so gung-ho about Soraya, she sent over one of her daughters to see what the girl was made of. There was just one creepy fly in this ointment: At the time, Soraya was only just finishing up school and was still a painfully young teenager.
- She Was a Spoiled Heiress. Soraya was groomed for a royal destiny from the very start. The only daughter of Iranian nobleman Khalil Esfandiary and his wife, the German heiress Eva Karl, Soraya grew up in luxury, spending her adolescence shuttling between Berlin and Isfahan while attending the best finishing schools.
- She Had a Temper. Half Iranian and half German, Soraya was famous for her beauty even as a gangly teen—but beauty wasn’t the only part of her charm. She had a notoriously Teutonic, brusque manner underneath her feminine good looks, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind directly and openly.
- A Single Photo Made Her Queen. Soraya’s legendary beauty preceded her…literally. Around 1948, the Queen Mother of Iran, Tadj ol-Molouk, was on the lookout to get her son Shah Mohammad Reza a new wife.
- The Royal Family Tested Her. The Shah’s sister dutifully flew over to see what the young, beautiful Soraya was made of. Well, our girl must have passed the test, because the princess became convinced that Soraya was perfect for her brother.
First reports were not good and he decided to leave Iran with Soraya and his personal pilot. After a brief stop in Baghdad, the Royal couple arrived in Rome with mush anxiety and not sure of the next phase of their lives. The Shah and Soraya stayed at the Hotel Excelsior in Rome.
Jan 7, 2024 · Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari: The Sad-Eyed Princess From Iran From being crowned as the queen of Iran to leading a life of a socialite in Paris, Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari's story was a fairy tale that ended in a tragedy.
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Apr 13, 2017 · The Shah of Iran found himself in a delicate position: he was the only sovereign in the world without an heir. From that moment, his marriage to Soraya was doomed.