Iranian Royal family faces 'another' suicide. (VIDEO Tribute 05/01/2011)

The then, Shah of Iran, Empress Farah and son Alireza

The last Shah of Iran was married three times in an effort to gain a male heir. All of the wives were "fit to be queens," young, well-educated, amazingly beautiful, but it was the last who was able to give him what he wanted.

The woman who became Empress Farah Diba is the daughter of Sohrab Diba, Capt., Imperial Iranian Army, and his wife, Faredeh Gothbimarried Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran in 1959 and became Shabanu (Empress.) Together, they had four children. Cyrus Reza Pahlavi, Reza (born 30 October 1960); Farahnaz , (born 12 March 1963); Ali Reza, (28 April 1966 – 4 January 2011) and Leila Pahlavi ( 27 March 1970 – 10 June 2001).

Now the two youngest have fallen victim to depression and suicide. Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi of Iran shot himself to death at his Boston home yesterday just a couple of months shy of his 45 birthday. In addition to being the second son and third child of this troubled royal family, he was a well-liked man and an advocate for democracy and human rights. He is survived by his mother,Empress Farah Pahlavi, his over brother Reza, his sister Farahnaz, and his half sister, Shanaz.

The following brief message is on rezapahlavi.org -

"It is with immense grief that we would like to inform our compatriots of the passing away of Prince Alireza Pahlavi.
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 night of the 4th of January 2011, in his Boston residence, took his own life, plunging his family and friends into great sorrow.
Once again, we are joined with mothers, father and relatives of so many victims of these dark times for our country.
Reza Pahlavi, Farah Pahlavi, Farahnaz Pahlavi, Yasmine Pahlavi, Noor Pahlavi, Iman Pahlavi and Farah Pahlavi."

Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi for whom a photo gallery is on display, was once considered one of the world's mos eligible princes. He completed his undergraduate education at Princeton, where he studied music and ethnomusicology and earned a master's in ancient Iranian studies from Columbia University. He was also working on a Ph.D. from Harvard in ancient Iranian studies and philology.
Tragically, his sister his Leila (age 31) committed suicide by an overdose of prescription drugs in 2001 in London.

These two deaths came after that of the Shah himself, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Though an absolute monarch, he was quite popular and the preeminent leader of the Middle East at that time.  He led the “White Revolution” in Iran, extended suffrage to women. In face upon his marriage to Farah, he named her “Empress Regent” which made it clear that if he died before their son’s 21^stbirthday, she would be the ruler of Iran, an unprecedented move in the Middle East at that time, and perhaps now. That never came to be, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi died of non-Hodgkins lymphoma in Egyptian exile on July 27^th, 1980.

We offer our deepest Condolences to Empress Farah Diba andthe entire Pahlavi for the loss of your beloved son, 

Prince Alireza Pahlavi. R.I.P

NOTICE: "Empress" Farah Diba has asked that it be known that she does not have a facebook page, or myspace or any other page which is her except: http://www.farahpahlavi.org/

Special thanks to film director, Farhad Zamani for his kind consultation.