The newsletter I received today contained two articles about the Pahlavi dynasty. The first is titled "Why Royal Family Still Haunts Iranians" and was published on 6 January 2011. The journalist, Azadeh Moaveni, referring to the recent death of the late Shah's youngest son Prince Ali Reza, asks why the former Royal (should be Imperial) Family still fascinates the Iranians.
Well, the activities of the former Imperial Family of Iran certainly are of interest to non-Iranians as well. The Pahlavi pretender to the Iranian throne, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi (titular Shah(ansah) of Iran), who resides in the United States, makes one alternative to the present Iranian dictatorship.
The second article, titled "Iran Reacts to Suicide of the Shah's Son", was published on 5 January 2011, and is also written by Azadeh Moaveni. The journalists writes that the Iranian leadership has tried to eliminate the former Imperial family from public discussion, but has not succeeded.
Following the death of Prince Ali Reza, it is a bit unclear who the current pretender's heir or if there is an heir after all. If the succession law is agnatic, the heir would be Reza Pahlavi's cousin Prince Patrick Ali Pahlavi [Prince Ali Islami], b. 1947. I hope to get more details on the Iranian monarchical constitution and succession law soon. For more information on the Pahlavi Dynasty, you are recommended to visit The Royal Ark.
Reza Pahlavi's other siblings are Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi, b. 1940, and Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi, b. 1963. His youngest sister Princess Leila Pahlavi, b. 1970, died in 2001 and is buried at the Cimetière de Passy in Paris, France.
Reza Pahlavi's mother Empress Farah Diba resides in Paris, France, but also owns a house in the United States.
Updated on Wednesday 19 January 2011 at 20.25 (see comments below).
