Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1966)

Ali Reza Pahlavi (Persian: علیرضا پهلوی; 28 April 1966 – 4 January 2011) was a member of the Pahlavi imperial family of the Imperial State of Iran. He was the younger son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the former Shah of Iran[1] and his third wife Farah Diba.[2] He was second in order of succession to the Iranian throne before the Iranian Revolution.

This article is about the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. For his uncle of the same name, see Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1922).

Ali Reza Pahlavi
Born(1966-04-28)28 April 1966
Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
Died4 January 2011(2011-01-04) (aged 44)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
IssueIryana Leila Pahlavi
HousePahlavi
FatherMohammad Reza Pahlavi
MotherFarah Diba

Biography
Prince Ali Reza in 1976

Alireza Pahlavi was born on 28 April 1966.[3][4] He attended the Niavaran Palace primary school in Iran[5] but left Iran alongside his family shortly before 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.[6] Pahlavi received a BA degree from Princeton University, an MA degree from Columbia University,[7] and was studying at Harvard University as a PhD student in ancient Iranian studies and philology at the time of his death.[4][8]

He was engaged in 2001 to Sarah Tabatabai, but it seems that the relationship ended some time afterwards.[9] From 2007 to 2011 he was in a relationship with Dr. Raha Didevar, whom he got engaged to in 2010.[10] His daughter, Iryana Leila Pahlavi was born in 2011, from Dr. Raha Didevar. He was once voted as one of the "world's most eligible princes."[11]

Death

After a long period of depression, on 4 January 2011 Pahlavi died in his apartment in the South End, Boston, (141 West Newton Street)[12] from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[13]

Mahnaz Afkhami, the former Iranian Minister of Women's Affairs of the Shah's government, 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, Leila Pahlavi also had died by 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 was 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 to his partner Raha Didevar after his death.[17]

His brother Reza Pahlavi said that his wish was to be cremated and for his ashes to be scattered in the Caspian Sea.[18]

On 23 January 2011, an official memorial was held in The Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland.[19] The memorial was attended by the former Iranian imperial family and thousands of Iranians.[20]

Ancestry

References
  1. Yearbook of the Encyclopedia Americana Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine - Page 37
  2. The Middle East and North Africa. Europa Publications. 1977. ISBN 978-0-905118-11-6. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  3. The Statesman's year-book Archived 21 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Volume 110 - Page 1046
  4. Scott, Marcia (4 January 2011). "AFP: Son of Iran shah commits suicide in US: family". Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  5. "Ali Reza Pahlavi". farahpahlavi.org. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  6. "Ali Reza Pahlavi". Farah Pahlavi. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  7. ضایعه در گذشت شاهزاده گرامی میهنمان علی رضا پهلوی Archived 22 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine,
  8. "News / International: Son of former Iranian shah found dead in Boston". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 5 January 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  9. "Ein Herz und keine Krone" Archived 9 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Die Welt. 16 November 2001.
  10. https://dopcabliss.weebly.com/reza-pahlavi.html
  11. Steven Hoffer (4 January 2011). "Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi Commits Suicide: 5 Facts About the Shah of Iran's Son". Aolnews.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  12. Whitney, Katherine; Emery, Leila (16 March 2020). My Shadow is My Skin: Voices from the Iranian Diaspora. ISBN 9781477320273.
  13. "Alireza Pahlavi Suicide: Iran Shah's Son Killed Himself In Boston, Says Brother". HuffPost. 4 January 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. "Shah of Iran's younger son kills himself in US". BBC News. 5 January 2011. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  15. "Former shah of Iran's youngest son dead in apparent suicide". The Washington Post. 7 January 2011. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  16. "Son of former shah of Iran commits suicide". CNN. 5 January 2011. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  17. "Announcement of Birth". Reza Pahlavi website. Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  18. "Dead son of Iran's last Shah to be cremated". Euronews. 4 January 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  19. "Memorial Ceremony For Prince Alireza Pahlavi". Reza Pahlavi website. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  20. "Thousands attend memorial services for Alireza Pahlavi in Maryland". Payvand. 25 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
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