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  "path": "/royal/iranian-royal-family-full-list-survivors-1979-revolution",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-02T18:08:21.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Council holds crunch talks about Queen's private residence as deadline approaches",
    "Former King of Spain stuck in Abu Dhabi as airspace closed amid Iran conflict",
    "Queen Elizabeth II's 185-year-old christening gown to go on public display",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
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  "textContent": "\n\n\nThe Iranian Royal Family has lived in exile ever since the 1979 revolution that ended their rule. The last monarch, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, died on July 27, 1980 in Cairo at the age of 60.\n\nAfter a long cancer battle, the late Iranian Shah was given a state funeral by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nNo members of his immediate family were killed during the revolution, as they managed to leave the country before the final collapse of the monarchy. However, one close relative was later assassinated in exile, and many of the Shah's top officials were executed shortly after the takeover.\n\nGB News has taken a look at the full list of surviving Iranian royals living in exile 47 years after the revolution.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n## The Crown Prince\n\nCrown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the late Shah and head of the House of Pahlavi, currently lives in Washington, DC.\n\nBorn in Tehran, Mr Pahlavi was officially named Crown Prince of Iran at the time of his father's Coronation in 1967. He is a prominent political activist who frequently advocates for democratic reform and regime change in Iran.\n\nIn 1986, Mr Pahlavi tied the knot with Yasmine Pahlavi, a lawyer, and they have three daughters, Noor, Iman, and Farah.\n\nA Shia Muslim, Mr Pahlavi frequently calls for a separation of religion and state and advocates for a secular, democratic future for Iran.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe 65-year-old strongly supports the joint US-Israeli military strikes against Iran, titled Operation Epic Fury.****\n\nHe characterised the operation as a \"humanitarian intervention\" intended to liberate the Iranian people from the current regime.\n\nIn a video address, he urged Iranian security forces to defect and side with the people, claiming that the \"Islamic Republic is collapsing\". He also disclosed the \"Iran Prosperity Project,\" a plan for a democratic transition.\n\nWhile supporting the strikes, Mr Pahlavi publicly asked US President Donald Trump to exercise \"maximum caution\" to preserve the lives of Iranian civilians.\n\n### LATEST ROYAL DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Council holds crunch talks about Queen's private residence as deadline approaches\n  * Former King of Spain stuck in Abu Dhabi as airspace closed amid Iran conflict\n  * Queen Elizabeth II's 185-year-old christening gown to go on public display\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n## Last Queen of Iran\n\nEmpress Farah Pahlavi, 87, the third wife and widow of Mohammad Reza Shah, splits her time between Paris, France, and Washington, DC. She remains active in supporting Iranian art and culture.\n\nMrs Pahlavi has not yet issued a specific statement regarding Operation Epic Fury. However, she has consistently advocated for international solidarity with the Iranian people's quest for freedom.\n\n## Other surviving family members\n\nPrincess Farahnaz Pahlavi, 62, the eldest daughter of the Shah, lives a very private life in New York City. In addition, Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi, 85, the Shah's eldest daughter from his first marriage, lives in Switzerland and holds Swiss citizenship.\n\nTwo of the Shah's children sadly died while in exile; Princess Leila died in London in 2001, and Prince Ali-Reza died in Boston in 2011.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n## Support for the Iranian monarchy\n\nBy early 1979, support for the Pahlavi monarchy had largely collapsed among the general public due to perceptions of corruption, autocracy, and foreign dependence.\n\nWhile the Shah had a base among the military and some upper-class elites, they were overwhelmed by the strikes and street protests. Once the military declared neutrality on February 11, 1979, the monarchy had no institutional support left to maintain power.\n\nIn 2026, public opinion in Iran regarding a return to the monarchy remains deeply divided and complex. A 2025 survey by GAMAAN found that approximately 21 per cent of Iranians prefer a monarchy as a future system, compared to 26 per cent who favour a secular republic. An additional five per cent support a federal monarchy.\n\nMr Pahlavi has advocated for a national referendum to allow Iranians to choose between a republic and a monarchy if the current government is ousted.\n\nDespite this, the Iranian Government classifies support for the Pahlavi dynasty as a criminal offence.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n## Pahlavi dynasty and House of Windsor\n\nThe Iranian royals and the British Royal Family met several times, with the late Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi making an official state visit to the UK in 1959. He was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, where he was notably appointed an honorary Marshal of the Royal Air Force.\n\nIn addition, the late Queen and Prince Philip made a 10-day state visit to Iran in 1961, touring Tehran, Isfahan, and the ancient ruins of Persepolis.\n\nThe late Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne also attended the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire in 1971. The Queen Mother later made a diplomatic visit in 1975 to thank the Shah for a substantial loan to Britain.\n\nAfter the 1979 revolution, the British Government famously refused to grant the Shah asylum, fearing for the safety of UK diplomats in Tehran. Despite this, Empress Farah has stated that Queen Elizabeth II sent a supportive personal letter to the Shah while he was in Egyptian exile.\n\nIn 2004, King Charles became the only British royal to visit Iran after the revolution as part of a humanitarian mission following the Bam earthquake.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter **",
  "title": "Full list of surviving Iranian royals who continue to live in exile after 1979 revolution"
}