It isn’t the first time Farah Pahlavi has had to grieve a child who committed suicide. Just ten years ago, former princess Leila Pahlavi, whose young daughter suffered from anorexia and depression, took a lethal cocktail of cocaine and barbiturates, and died in her sleep at 31.
And so it seems Iran’s royal family, once at the pinnacle of riches and power, has lost its members one by one, never recovering from losing the throne over 30 years ago.
“Like millions of young Iranians, [Ali-Reza] 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,” wrote Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son who is still politically active and hopes to return to Iran as its leader one day, on his website. “Although he struggled for years to overcome his sorrow, he finally succumbed.”
On his mother’s website, a simple page for Ali-Reza that clearly has not been updated lists his resume, along with a smiling picture. “Post Graduate: Harvard University (ancient Iranian Studies! Philology)” it reads. Followed by a list of his hobbies—sky diving, scuba diving, reading, flying. “Email: None for the time being.”
