Saed News: Shahnaz Pahlavi, the first daughter of Mohammad Reza Shah and Fawzia, was born amid the anger and disappointment of the Pahlavi family, as they had been hoping for a son to succeed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
According to the political news service of Saed News, quoting Tasnim, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi had three daughters from his marriages: Shahnaz, Farahnaz, and Leila. Shahnaz was from his first marriage, while Farahnaz and Leila were from his third.
Shahnaz Pahlavi, the first daughter of Mohammad Reza Shah, was known before the revolution as the veiled daughter of the Shah. Born in Tehran, she was the first child of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his first wife, Fawzia. Her paternal grandfather was Reza Shah, and her maternal grandfather was King Fuad I of Egypt. Additionally, her uncle was King Farouk, the last ruler of Egypt.
History not only helps us recognize influential individuals across various fields but also reveals how the passage of time affects great figures and those who have been swayed by wealth, power, and riches.
Iran’s past is no exception to this phenomenon, with each era marked by stories of different personalities. One such significant period is the Islamic Revolution, an era recently revisited with the rebroadcast of the TV series The Enigma of the Shah, which narrates the events and key figures of that time.
One of these historical events was the birth of Shahnaz, the only daughter of Mohammad Reza Shah and Fawzia—a birth that stirred anger and turmoil within the Pahlavi family, as royal traditions often favored a male heir.
Shahnaz was born on October 27, 1940. Following the tensions and neglect that her mother faced due to her giving birth to a daughter, Fawzia filed for divorce and left for Egypt when Shahnaz was just six years old. This left Shahnaz with a father who showed her little affection.
After these events, Shahnaz was raised by one of her aunts, who cared for her deeply. At the age of 18, she went to Switzerland to study at the Marie-José boarding school, completing a five-year program before returning to Iran in 1952.
For political reasons, the Shah wanted her to marry King Faisal of Iraq, but Shahnaz refused. Eventually, in 1956, she married Ardeshir Zahedi, the son of Fazlollah Zahedi—the man responsible for orchestrating the 1953 coup that restored the Shah to power. Two years later, their daughter Mehrnaz was born.
After enduring seven years of Zahedi’s indulgent lifestyle, Shahnaz reached her breaking point and left him, moving to Switzerland.
During her time abroad, she fell in love with a troubled young man named Khosrow Jahanbani, the son of General Jahanbani, who was studying painting. She married him without the royal court’s approval. From this marriage, she had two children: a daughter, Fawzia, and a son, Khosrow.
Before the revolution, Shahnaz embraced religion, changed her name to Hajer, and attended private gatherings wearing a headscarf.
After the revolution and the Shah’s death, she distanced herself from politics and court intrigues. Although her inheritance was seven percent less than the other royal family members, leading her to file a legal complaint, she ultimately moved to Paris.
