Shah

Photo made seconds before the start of the Shah and the Shahbanou’s triumphant cortege through the streets of Teheran and the cheers of several million people, in the new Coronation Coach, specially built in Vienna for the glittering occasion. Picture of the full Coronation Coach, built in Vienna specially for the Coronation of 1967. The carriage is blue, the colour of the Shah’s personal standard and has the arms of the Pahlavis painted in the door. There are gold engravings in the whole carriage and on top of it a model of the Imperial Crown, including the feathers. The seat of the coachman is in blue embroidered in gold and it also has the arms of the Imperial Family.

Official picture of the Imperial couple with their son, Crown Prince Reza Cyrus, in front of the Naderi Throne in the Grand Hall of Golestan Palace, at the end of the coronation ceremony. The picture was made after the guests had left the Grand Hall and during the reception inside the Palace, after which the Imperial Family went in procession through the gardens of the Golestan.

The Shahbanou of Iran posing with her maids of honour in the Marble Palace of Teheran, after her arrival from the Golestan Palace, where she was crowned by her husband, the Shah. The short sleeves of the bridesmaids had an embroidery similar to the one in the magnificent green velvet robe of the Empress.

The Empress posing with her two elder children, Crown Prince Reza Cyrus and Princess Farahnaz.

One of the most famous pictures of the Coronation. From left: HIH Princess Ashraf, twin sister of the Shah, HIH Princess Shahnaz, HIM The Shah, TIH Princess Farahnaz and Crown Prince Reza Cyrus, HIM The Shahbanou and HIH Princess Shams, elder sister of the Shah.

Above, the Diplomatic Corps in the Grand HaII of the Golestan Palace. Below, the members of the Imperial Family making their entrance for the Coronation ceremony. Wearing an impressive embroidered dress with a train coming from her shoulders and a diamond and emerald tiara and escorted by her husband, Princess Ashraf, the twin sister of the Shah of Iran. Behind come other half brothers and sisters of the sovereign.

From the right, The Aga Khan IV (on whom the Shah had conferred the title of “His Royal Highness” in October 1959), the Begum Aga Khan III (widow of the Aga Khan III, the only woman who attended the Coronation wearing a morning dress instead of the required long one) and Prince Sadruddin Khan (son of the late Aga Khan III).

Above, HIH The Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Cyrus, walks through the long red carpet of the Grand Hall at the Golestan Palace provoking the amazement of most of the guests for his seriousness. Below, after he had reached his cahir embroidered wuth the coat of arms of the Pahlavis, on what would be the left of his father. Behind him are the Imam Djomeh, highest Moslem authorityof the country, and the ambassadors of the United States and the United Kingdom.

Just before her coronation, a magnificent Imperial Robe was placed above Empress Farah’s shoulders. Perhaps the most amazing robe ever to be made, the green velvet cloth was a superb masterpiece, also designed by Marc Boham from Dior but again woven, cut and finalized in Iran, by Iranians. That colour was chosen because green is the colour of the descendants of the Prophet. The gold embroidery in the green velvet, though, gave it the most extraordinary look. But it was not only gold, since the whole length of the train (longer than the train of the white dress) was embroidered with diamonds, rubies and emeralds. The back of the robe was especially magnificent, with the Pahlavi arms embroidered in gold surrounded by a profusion of gold embroideries with alternating rubies and emeralds. The whole robe and train were bordered with vison. Although tremendously magnificent, the Empress’ robe had the very unique characteristic of being extremely different from all the robes ever seen, ever made, or ever imagined. It could not be compared to the British Coronation robes, it could not be compared with the French Coronation robes, it could not be compared with the Austrian Coronation robes: it was, quite simply, uniquely beautiful and different.

A diamond and emerald necklace from the Crown Jewels, made by Van Cleef & Arpels for the Coronation. The necklace, mounted in platinum and gold, is composed by an enormous engraved hexagonal emerald, mounted in pendant and surrounded by diamonds of old cut, of four big square emeralds and five smaller ones, (all surrounded by diamonds), four hanging pear pearls and eleven yellow diamonds of very good size.

Decorating the kepi was the Darya-e Noor or Sea of Light Diamond, an incredibly clear rectangular stone, weighting between 175 and 195 carats, mounted in a frame composed of diamonds, in the form of the Imperial Crown.

The Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Cyrus, also wore military uniform and the very impressive highest decorations of Iran: the Collar and Collar Badge of the Order of Pahlavi and the sash and star of then same order.

The Shah of Iran wore the dark blue uniform of Great Marshal of the Empire and when he left the Marble Palace of Teheran, he wore the high, embroidered in gold, kepi that his father, Reza Shah the Great, had worn to his coronation in 1926. Although that hat had long been out of use in the Army, the Shah decided to wear it has a special family and historical souvenir. Decorating the kepi was the Darya-e Noor or Sea of Light Diamond, an incredibly clear rectangular stone, weighting between 175 and 195 carats, mounted in a frame composed of diamonds, in the form of the Imperial Crown. Around his neck the Emperor wore the badge of the Order of Sipah (first class), while hanging from his shoulders was the highest Iranian decoration, the Collar and Collar Badge of the Nishan-i-Pahlavi or the Order of Pahlavi, founded in 1932 by Reza Shah the Great. The collar is composed of gold double loops forming knots and brought together by platinum, enamelled in blue, circlets. The Badge has four representations of the Pahlavi Crown and in the centre a miniature image of Mount Damavand. The Emperor wore the blue sash, bordered with yellow, of the Order of Pahlavi and the star, and also the star of the Order of Zulfikhar, or Sword of ‘Ali.