Ali-Reza Pahlavi

Not to be confused with his uncle Ali Reza Pahlavi I, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's brother, who died in a plane crash in October 1954.
Prince Alireza Pahlavi
شاهزاده علیرضا پهلوی
Prince of Iran

Prince Ali-Reza
Issue Princess Iryana Leila
Full name
English: Ali-Reza
Persian: علی رضا‎
House House of Pahlavi
Father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mother Empress Farah Pahlavi
Born 28 April 1966
Tehran, Iran
Died 4 January 2011 (aged 44)
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Religion Shi'a Islam
Styles of
Prince Ali-Reza of Iran
Reference style His Imperial Highness
Spoken style Your Imperial Highness
Alternative style Sir

Alireza Pahlavi (28 April 1966 – 4 January 2011, Persian: شاهزاده علیرضا پهلوی) was a member of the Pahlavi Imperial Family of Iran (Persia).[1] He was the younger son of the former Shah of Iran[2] and his third wife Farah Pahlavi.[3] He was second in order of succession to the Iranian throne before the Iranian Revolution.

Biography

Prince Alireza Pahlavi was born on 28 April 1966.[4][5] He attended the Niavaran Palace primary school in Iran[6] but left Iran alongside his family after the Iranian revolution. He moved to the U.S. where he attended Saint David's School in New York City and Mt Greylock Regional High School in Williamstown, Massachusetts.[7] Pahlavi received a BA degree from Princeton University, a MA degree from Columbia University,[8] and was studying at Harvard University as a PhD student in ancient Iranian studies and philology at the time of his death.[5][9]

He was engaged in 2001 to Sarah Tabatabai, but it seems that the relationship ended some time afterwards.[10] He was once voted as one of the "world's most eligible princes."[11]

Death

On January 4, 2011, news outlets reported that Alireza Pahlavi had committed suicide in his South End Boston apartment after a long period of depression. Boston police said that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police said officers responding to a 911 call found Pahlavi dead in his home shortly after 2 a.m.[12] The official statement on the website of his brother Prince Reza Pahlavi read:[13]

“ Like millions of young Iranians, he too was deeply disturbed by all the ills fallen upon his beloved homeland, as well as carrying the burden of losing a father and a sister in his young life. Although he struggled for years to overcome his sorrow, he finally succumbed, and during the early morning hours of the 4th of January 2011, in his Boston residence, took his own life, plunging his family and friends into great sorrow. ”

The family learned of the death Tuesday at 2:30 a.m., said spokesman Ahmad Oveyssi.

Mahnaz Afkhami, the former Iranian Minister of Women's Affair, told the BBC World Service that Pahlavi and his family being forced into exile in 1979 was very "traumatic" for him and that he had experienced a "loss of identity" in exile.[14] Alireza's sister, Princess Leila Pahlavi also committed suicide in June 2001. Close family friends say that Alireza became very depressed after the death of his sister to whom he was very close.[15] He is survived by his mother, Farah Pahlavi, his older brother Reza, his sister Farahnaz, half-sister Shahnaz[16] and daughter Iryana Leila Pahlavi, who was born after his death.[17]

At a press conference in Boston, his brother Reza said that Alireza Pahlavi had left his final wishes including his wish to be cremated and for his ashes to be scattered in the Caspian Sea.[18]

Aftermath

The news of his death spread quickly on social-networking sites and sparked different reactions.[19]

Memorials

On January 23, 2011, an official memorial was held in The Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland.[20] The memorial was attended by the Iranian Royal family and thousands of Iranians.[21]

Raha Didevar

After Prince Alireza's suicide there were numerous reports and rumors that at the time of his death Alireza and his companion Raha Didevar were expecting a child, although this was not confirmed by the Imperial family. On August 5, 2011 a statement from the official website of Prince Alireza's brother, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, read: [17]

“ On behalf of my family, I wish to inform our compatriots & friends of the birth of Iryana Leila daughter of our beloved Alireza, on July 26th, 2011. ”

The Prince's only child, Iryana Leila, was born out of wedlock and nearly seven months after his death.

Empress Farah Pahlavi confirmed that Iryana Leila is a full member of the Imperial house and a Princess of Iran.

Issue

Ancestry

References

  1. ↑ Royal Ark
  2. ↑ Yearbook of the Encyclopedia Americana - Page 37
  3. ↑ The Middle East and North Africa By Europa Publications Limited p338
  4. ↑ The Statesman's year-book, Volume 110 - Page 1046
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Scott, Marcia (2011-01-04). "AFP: Son of Iran shah commits suicide in US: family". Google.com. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  6. ↑ "Ali-Reza Pahlavi". farahpahlavi.org. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
  7. ↑ "Ali-Reza Pahlavi". Farah Pahlavi. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  8. ↑ ضایعه در گذشت شاهزاده گرامی میهنمان علی رضا پهلوی,
  9. ↑ AP (2011-01-05). "News / International : Son of former Iranian shah found dead in Boston". Chennai, India: The Hindu. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  10. ↑ "Ein Herz und keine Krone". Welt Online. November 16, 2001.
  11. ↑ Steven Hoffer Contributor (2011-01-04). "Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi Commits Suicide: 5 Facts About the Shah of Iran's Son". Aolnews.com. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  12. ↑ "Alireza Pahlavi Suicide: Iran Shah's Son Killed Himself In Boston, Says Brother". HuffPost. 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  13. ↑ "With immense grief that we would like to inform our compatriots of the passing away of Prince Alireza Pahlavi". Reza Pahlavi. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  14. ↑ "Shah of Iran's younger son kills himself in US". BBC News. 2011-01-05. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  15. ↑ "Former shah of Iran's youngest son dead in apparent suicide". The Washington Post. 2011-01-67. Retrieved 2011-01-07. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ↑ "Son of former shah of Iran commits suicide". CNN Wire Staff. 2011-01-05. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Announcement of Birth". Reza Pahlavi. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  18. ↑ "Dead son of Iran’s last Shah to be cremated". Euronews.net. 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  19. ↑ Moaveni, Azadeh (2011-01-05). "Iran Reacts to Suicide of the Shah's Son". TIME. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  20. ↑ "Memorial Ceremony For Prince Alireza Pahlavi". Reza Pahlavi. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
  21. ↑ "Thousands attend memorial services for Alireza Pahlavi in Maryland". payvand.com. 2011-01-25. Retrieved 2011-02-08.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ali-Reza Pahlavi.
Ali-Reza Pahlavi
Born: 28 April 1966 Died: 4 January 2011
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
Reza Pahlavi		 — TITULAR —
Prince of Iran
27 July 1980 – 4 January 2011
Reason for succession failure:
Monarchy abolished in 1979		 Succeeded by
Patrick Ali Pahlavi