Zahra Aga Khan

Princess Zahra Aga Khan (born 18 September 1970 in Geneva, Switzerland) is the eldest child of Aga Khan IV.

Education and career

She attended Institut Le Rosey and Harvard University, from which she graduated in 1994 with a degree in Development Studies. After her graduation, from Harvard University with a BA (Honors) in 1994, Princess Zahra joined the Secretariat of His Highness the Aga Khan at Aiglemont estate, France.

She is Director of the Social Welfare Department at the Secretariat,^[1] and is also responsible for specific social development institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). These include Aga Khan Education Services, Aga Khan Health Services and Aga Khan Planning and Building Services. Princess Zahra also works with institutions supported by the Ismaili community in the areas of social welfare, women's activities and youth programs.

She chairs the International Social Development and Sports Foundation (ISDSF) which seeks to act as a catalyst for replicable, short-term programs addressing issues facing youth, women and the elderly in developed and developing countries alike. Princess Zahra is also a member of the Aga Khan Development Network Committee.

Personal life

She married British businessman and former model Mark Boyden, an Anglican, in a civil ceremony on 21 June 1997. The wedding was held at the Chateau de Chantilly near Paris,^[2] in the presence of guests including King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain, and Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.

Princess Zahra and Mark Boyden have a daughter, Sara, and a son, Iliyan.

Like her father, Princess Zahra is a fan of Thoroughbred horse racing and has begun racing horses in her own name, the owner-breeder of the Prix Vermeille winner Mandesha.^[3]

References