Princess Soraya of Iran
| Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary | |||||
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| Queen consort of Iran | |||||
| Tenure | 12 February 1951 – 6 April 1958 | ||||
| Born |
22 June 1932 Isfahan, Iran |
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| Died | 26 October 2001 (aged 69) Paris, France |
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| Burial | Westfriedhof, Munich | ||||
| Spouse |
Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (1951–1958; divorced) |
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| House | Pahlavi (by marriage) | ||||
| Father | Khalil Esfandiary-Bakhtiari | ||||
| Mother | Eva Karl | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic (initially and later in life); Shi'a Islam during her marriage | ||||
| Full name | |
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| English: Soraya Persian: ثریا |
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Styles of Princess Soraya of Iran |
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| Reference style | Her Imperial Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Imperial Highness |
| Alternative style | Ma'am |
Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary (Lurish/Persian:ثریا اسفندیاری بختیاری, Sorayâ Esfandiyâri-Baxtiyâri; 22 June 1932 – 26 October 2001) was an actress, and the queen consort (Shahbanu) of Iran as the second wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Soraya was the elder child and only daughter of Khalil Esfandiary-Bakhtiary (1901-1983), a Bakhtiary nobleman and Iranian ambassador to West Germany in the 1950s, and his German wife Eva Karl (1906-1994).
She was born in the English Missionary Hospital in Isfahan (Farsan) on 22 June 1932. She had one sibling, a younger brother, Bijan. Her family had long been involved in the Iranian government and diplomatic corps. An uncle, Sardar Assad, was a leader in the Persian Constitutional Revolution of the early 20th century. Soraya was raised in Berlin and Isfahan, and educated in London and Switzerland.
In 1948, Soraya was introduced to the recently divorced Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, by Forough Zafar Bakhtiary, a close relative of Soraya's, via a photograph taken by Goodarz Bakhtiary, in London, per Forough Zafar's request. At the time Soraya had completed high school at a Swiss finishing school and was studying the English language in London. They were soon engaged: the Shah gave her a 22.37 carat (4.474 g) diamond engagement ring.
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