Gholam Reza Pahlavi

Gholam Reza Pahlavi (; 15 May 1923 – 7 May 2017) was an Iranian prince and a member of the Pahlavi dynasty, as the son of Reza Shah and half-brother of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.

Following the death of his half-sister Ashraf Pahlavi on 7 January 2016, Gholam Reza became the only living child of Reza Shah. He resided in Paris with his family. He died on 7 May 2017 at the age of 93.

Early life and education Pahlavi was born in Golestan Palace, Tehran, on 15 May 1923. He was the fifth child and third son of Reza Shah, the founder of the Iranian Pahlavi dynasty. More specifically, she was the daughter of a Qajar dignitary, Issa Majd al-Saltaneh. She was also the granddaughter of Majd ed-Dowleh Qajar-Qovanlu Amirsoleimani, Naser al Din Shah's maternal cousin. In 1936, he returned to the country and attended military school. It, however, also did not work. In August 1952 while serving in the army Pahlavi joined a fourteen–week military training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Then he served as inspector general in the army. After holding different positions in the army he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in 1973. He also served as president of the Iranian National Olympic Committee. He was a member of the Royal Council which ruled Iran during the international visits of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

In early December 1973, he and his wife officially visited China just before the first Iranian ambassador, Abbas Aram, began to serve in that country. As president of the Iranian national Olympic committee, he supported China's objection to Taiwan's participation in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. However, he never tended to play an active role in domestic politics.

During the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, he owned land in Iran and was a large shareholder in six firms. Gholam Reza Pahlavi involved in a corruption case when he took payment from an East European country which made an investment contract with Iran.

Personal life and later years

Pahlavi married Homa Aalam (daughter of Amir Farau’llah Khan Aalam, Iran Minister for Education and Minister of Public Works) in 1948 in Tehran. His wife and Pahlavis half-sister Ashraf were also good friends.

They had a daughter, Mehrnaz (born 4 February 1949), and a son, Bahman (born 30 January 1950).

Pahlavi left Iran before the 1979 revolution along with other relatives. He settled in Paris. In the immediate aftermath of the revolution, Ayatollah Sadegh Khalkhali, a religious judge and then chairman of the Revolutionary Court, informed the press that a death sentence was passed on the members of the Pahlavi family, including Gholam Reza and other former Shah officials.

In 1996 Pahlavi was diagnosed with lymphoma.

Book Pahlavi published a book, Mon père, mon frère, les Shahs d'Iran , in 2005, dealing with both his experiences and thoughts about the future of Iran. The book was published in French and Persian .

Honours National honours

Foreign honours