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Gholam Reza Pahlavi
Gholamreza Pahlavi.jpg
Born (1923-05-15)15 May 1923
Tehran, Sublime State of Persia
Died 7 May 2017(2017-05-07) (aged 93)
Paris, France
Spouse
Homa Aalam
(m. 1947; div. 1956)

Manijeh Jahanbani
(m. 1962)
Issue
House Pahlavi
Father Reza Shah
Mother Turan Amirsoleimani

Gholam Reza Pahlavi (Persian: غلامرضا پهlavi‎; 15 May 1923 – 7 May 2017) was an Iranian prince. He was a son of Reza Shah, who founded the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran. He was also the half-brother of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was the last Shah (king) of Iran.

After his half-sister Princess Ashraf of Iran passed away in 2016, Gholam Reza became the only living child of Reza Pahlavi. He lived in Paris, France, with his family. He died on 7 May 2017, just eight days before his 94th birthday.

Early Life and Education

Gholam Reza Pahlavi was born in Iran on 15 May 1923. He was the fifth child and third son of Reza Shah. His mother, Turan Amirsoleimani, was connected to the Qajar dynasty. This family ruled Iran before Reza Shah took power in 1925. Gholam Reza's parents married in 1922 but divorced soon after he was born in 1923.

He first went to school in Iran. Later, he studied in Switzerland at Institut Le Rosey. In 1936, he came back to Iran and joined a military school. When his father, Reza Shah, had to leave Iran in 1941, Gholam Reza went with him to British Mauritius.

After Reza Shah left, some foreign officials tried to make Gholam Reza the new Shah. They wanted to skip his older half-brother, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. However, their plan did not work. Gholam Reza later graduated from Princeton University. In 1952, while in the army, he also took part in military training in the United States.

Career and Public Service

When Gholam Reza Pahlavi returned to Iran, he joined the military. He started as a first lieutenant in Iran's armed forces. He then became an inspector general in the army. By 1973, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. He later retired from the army as a brigadier general.

In 1955, he became a member of the International Olympic Committee. He also served as the president of Iran's National Olympic Committee. He was part of the Royal Council, which helped rule Iran when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was traveling.

In 1973, he and his wife visited China. As president of the Iranian Olympic Committee, he supported China's view on Taiwan's participation in the 1976 Summer Olympics. However, he generally did not get involved much in Iran's daily politics.

During his half-brother's rule, Gholam Reza Pahlavi owned land in Iran. He also had shares in several companies. He was part of a group that worked on construction projects. This group was set up by the Shah to help with building roads and other city projects.

Personal Life and Later Years

Gholam-Reza-Pahlavi R Iman Ansari L Nice 2007
Gholam Reza Pahlavi at a book launch in Nice, France, 2007.

Gholam Reza Pahlavi married Homa Aalam in Tehran on 4 April 1947. They had a daughter, Mehrnaz (born 1949), and a son, Bahman (born 1950). They divorced in 1956.

He then married Manijeh Jahanbani on 6 March 1962 in Tehran. She was also a Qajar princess. They had two daughters, Azardokht and Maryam, and a son, Bahram.

Before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Pahlavi left Iran with other family members. He settled in Paris. After the revolution, a religious judge announced that a death sentence had been ordered for members of the Pahlavi family, including Gholam Reza. He passed away at the American Hospital of Paris on 7 May 2017.

Published Book

In 2005, Gholam Reza Pahlavi published a book titled Mon père, mon frère, les Shahs d'Iran. This means My father, my brother, the Shahs of Iran in French. The book shared his experiences and thoughts about Iran's future. It was published in both French and Persian.ISBN: 2915685061

Awards and Honours

Gholam Reza Pahlavi received many awards and honours during his life.

National Honours from Iran

  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pahlavi
  • Order of Glory
  • Order of Military Merit, 2nd class
  • Order of Service, 2nd class
  • Order of Rashtakhiz, 1st class
  • National Uprising Medal (1953)
  • Imperial Coronation Medal (1967)

International Honours

  • Order of the Sun (Afghanistan) - ribbon bar.gif Order of the Supreme Sun, 1st Class (Kingdom of Afghanistan)
  • ESP Isabella Catholic Order GC.svg Knight Grand Cross of Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (Kingdom of Spain, 1978)
  • King Birendra Investiture Medal 1975.png King Birendra Coronation Medal (Kingdom of Nepal, 1975)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Gholam Reza Pahlaví para niños

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