For many years the world was ruled in the form of kingdoms and empires. Such monarchies have very strict rules in themselves, and it often happens to women and children. Prince Sureyya, who married at a young age to Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, is one of the victims of these strict rules. Although there was a great love between Princess Sureyya and the king, she was divorced because she did not have a child and was sent into exile.
The monarchy wants an heir; The king and Princess Süreyya wanted love. Of course, strict rules prevailed, and unfortunately our new bride found herself trying to save a new life in the middle of Europe. Although she was accepted by European society, the press referred to her as the sad-eyed princess. Who is Princess Sureyya, let’s take a closer look and see the details of this sad story.
A beautiful young girl who was educated in Europe:
Princess Sureyya, whose full name is Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari, was born on June 22, 1932 in Isfahan, Iran. His mother, Eva Karl, was a German born in Moscow, and his father, Khalil Isfendiari, was an Iranian diplomat. Princess Süreyya’s life passed between Iran and Europe, as her father served in West Germany.
Princess Sureyya received most of her education in London and Switzerland. His family was educated and he knew the world closely due to his father being a diplomat. After meeting the older sister of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was on the throne at that time, all these features and beauty made him a candidate for the shah.
“The Shah loved you very much. Are you ready to marry him?”
Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who has been married once before, has a daughter, but after that he needs a son to take the throne. For this reason, the family looks after the king. When the Shah’s older sister met Princess Sureyya in London, she thought they had found the bride they were looking for and persuaded her to return to Iran.
When Princess Sureyya came to Iran, a big banquet was held for her. The Shah had already seen his photo before and liked it. At the dinner that night, both Princess Süreyya and the king and his family warmed up to each other. That evening, Süreyya’s father came to him and said, “The Shah loved you very much. Are you ready to marry him?” she asked. The answer was positive. The couple announced their engagement the next day.
Princess Sureyya marries Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi:
Princess Süreyya, an 18-year-old girl, fell ill with typhoid fever just before her wedding and was temporarily bedridden. When he started to stand up, the wedding preparations began. Sureyya’s wedding dress was designed by Christian Dior. After gold, diamonds, meters of silk fabric, 30 kilos became a wedding dress.
In order for the princess, who has not yet fully recovered, to at least survive the wedding night, the doctors suggested that she wear a wool vest and wool stockings inside the wedding dress. Since the weather was snowy and cold, the shah equipped the palace with wood stoves for his fiancee, whom he was looking forward to. When she was overwhelmed by the weight of the wedding dress, the maids cut off the excess of the wedding dress and finally Princess Süreyya relaxed a little. The wedding took place on February 12, 1951, without any problems.
A boy was always expected of him:
Princess Sureyya and Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi really loved each other. However, the main purpose of this marriage was clear, to give the king a son. For a few years, child pressure was hardly practiced, even though it was always expected. However, in 1954, when the shah’s brother Ali Riza Pahlavi, who was seen as the heir to the throne, died, things got worse.
If the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi died, his brother Ali Reza Pahlavi would ascend to the throne. Even if the king had no children, it was a good option. However, the Iranian throne was left without an heir when he died as a result of the crash of the plane he was boarding in 1954. This situation was unacceptable, and it was not. Shah and Princess Sureyya divorced in 1958.
Years of exile of the sad-eyed princess:
Princess Süreyya, who was exiled to Switzerland after her divorce from the Shah, began to live a comfortable life here. Because no matter what, the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi loved him very much and was sending help. Princess Süreyya, who attracted great attention of the press in Europe; She was called the sad-eyed princess.
She was a very beautiful woman, carrying the mystical air of the east and magnificent jewels. He was soon accepted into European society. He attended balls and parties. He even had a short acting career playing The Three Faces, directed by Franco Indovina in 1965.
Princess Sureyya never married after that but it is known that she had an affair with Franco Indovina. The unlucky princess did not smile again, and Indovina died in a plane crash in 1972. The ordeal of the sad-eyed princess was unending.
Princess Sureyya, alone in exile:
Princess Sureyya’s condition was good because she was living on a large amount of pension given by the king. Then, in 1979, the Iranian Islamic Revolution took place and the Iranian monarchy was turned upside down. This directly affected the princess, as her monthly salary was greatly reduced. So much so that he had to sell many of the jewels he owned.
Princess Sureyya died of a heart attack on October 25, 2001, at the age of 69, in Paris. He was alone when he died. Most of his possessions were sold, the rest was bought by the state. According to some, Princess Süreyya kept her stable and the shah family, who was pursuing the heir, was also from the administration in their hands.
We answered the question of who is the sad-eyed Princess Süreyya, who was exiled because she could not give birth to a child to the Iranian shah, and we talked about the curious details about this story. Who knows, there are many more such dramas happening in different parts of the world.
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