SAEDNEWS: History buffs familiar with the Qajar era have likely seen this photo, often misidentified as one of Naser al-Din Shah’s famous harem women. In truth, it’s none of them. Discover the real identity of this woman and her tragic story.
According to Saed News’ society section, just search the name “Anis al-Dawla,” the beloved wife of Naser al-Din Shah, online. One of the images that pops up is the photo above. Of course, authentic photos of Anis al-Dawla exist—but no matter how much you look at them, they bear no resemblance to the woman in this photo.
Now try searching for “Taj al-Saltaneh,” the daughter of Naser al-Din Shah. Again, this very same photo appears among images of the Qajar princess. But it’s easy to see that it doesn’t match any authentic picture of Taj al-Saltaneh.
The real Anis al-Dawla, beloved and influential wife of Naser al-Din Shah
For a more complete list of these misattributions, search for “Jeyran,” the favorite of Naser al-Din Shah’s harem—of whom no photo exists—and yet, once again, this image appears. Apparently, this photo has long played the role of many Qajar women, even though it depicts none of them.
So who is this woman, really, and what connection does she have to the Qajar harem? The answer is simple: none at all—except for a historical coincidence. The elegant woman in this image is indeed a queen—but not a queen of Iran. She is Natalija Obrenović, famously known as Natalie of Serbia, who ruled Serbia as queen from 1875 to 1889, exactly the period when Naser al-Din Shah reigned in Iran.
photo of Natalija Obrenović
Although she has no link to the Qajar court, her life story is far from dull. Though a queen, Natalija’s life bore little resemblance to the fairytale happiness we associate with royalty. From the moment she became Queen of Serbia, her life turned into a stormy sea of tragedy, earning her the title “Europe’s saddest queen.”
Portrait of Natalija Obrenović
Born Natalija Petrovna Keșco in 1859 in Florence, Italy, she came from a wealthy Russian-Romanian aristocratic family. Her father, Petre, was a Russian colonel, and her mother a Moldavian princess. Yet her carefree childhood ended early: she lost her father at six and her mother at fifteen.
At sixteen, she married Milan Obrenović, heir to the Serbian throne, later known as Milan I of Serbia. A year later, after a difficult childbirth, they welcomed their son, Alexander. A second son, Sergei, died five days after birth. The family’s beauty and elegance were widely admired, but rumors of Milan’s infidelities and affairs began to surface, causing Natalija deep pain and a growing rift between them.
Natalija with her husband Milan I of Serbia and their child
Beyond personal differences, the king and queen clashed politically. Natalija, with her Russian roots, leaned toward Russia, while Milan favored Vienna. Eventually, they divorced in 1888, and the exiled queen moved to Germany with Alexander. Milan later demanded custody of his son, which Natalija resisted, though she ultimately had to comply. A year later, after Serbia’s defeat in a war with Bulgaria tarnished his reputation, Milan abdicated.
Natalija spent her remaining years in France at the Château de Saché. During this time, one of her servants, Draga, became romantically involved with her son Alexander. Natalija opposed their marriage—Draga was twelve years older and later found infertile—and even publicly disowned her son. They never reconciled, and in May 1903, Alexander and Draga were killed in a coup.
The loss of her only child devastated Natalija, who withdrew from public life and joined a Catholic convent in France. She remained there until her death in 1941, buried in a cemetery near Paris.
Portrait of Natalija by Vlaho Bukovac, 1882
Despite conflicts with the king, the Serbian people loved Natalija, calling her “Mother of the Serbs.” During the 1885 war with Bulgaria, she cared for the wounded, helped the population, and used her influence to improve Serbia’s image in Europe.
This is the real story of the European queen whose image, for decades, has been mistakenly identified as a Qajar harem favorite.
