Princess Soraya's Jewelry at Auction

"Court Portrait by SAKO of Queen Soraya 1953" by SAKO. Princess Soraya's Jewelry fetched over $6 million at auction in 2002.   Princess Soraya's jewelry collection serves as a repository for one of the saddest love stories of the 20th century. After seven years of marriage to her one true love, Shah Reza Palhavi, ruler of Iran, she was forced by her own conscience to leave her husband and and her country forever.

Princess Soraya's Tragic Exile

One can only describe her exile as tragic. After several attempts to convince her to return and accept the Iranian custom of polygamy, Shah Palhavi finally granted her a divorce in 1958. Heartbroken, she retreated to Switzerland with her vast collection of jewelry and clothing. The heartsick lovers continued to correspond until she moved to Germany to live with her parents {1}. After a few trips to America, she finally settled herself in France. Though she lost the title of Queen, her former husband bestowed upon her the new title of Her Imperial Royal Highness Princess Soraya of Iran. In the 1960s, she threw herself into acting, starring in I tre volti (The Three Faces) and She, both produced in 1965. The Princess did fall in love again, this time with Italian director Franco Indovina. Tragically, 13 years after they first met, Soraya once again lost her lover. Franco died in a plane crash in 1972 {5}. She found comfort in her friends and her family, especially her brother Bijan. She continued to live in Paris and wrote two memoirs, one called Princess Soraya: Autobiography of Her Imperial Highness (publ. 1964) and Le Palais des Solitudes (Palace of Solitude) (publ. 1991/92).

Princess Soraya's Jewelry at Auction

Eleven years later, on October 26, 2001, Princess Soraya died in her apartment. Her brother Prince Bijan, who was slated to inherit her estate, died one week later. A will stipulated that all of Princess Soraya's jewelry and possessions were to be auctioned {6}. The majority of the proceeds were to be directed to her brother who lived in Cologne, Germany {6}. Unfortunately, Prince Bijan passed away without leaving his own will. According to German law, notices were posted to find other living heirs. Those that came forward were found to illegitimate claims to her estate {6}. After exhausting all possible attempts to find a suitable inheritor, authorities released her estate to Paris auctioneers, Beaussant-Lefevre {3}. According to an article written by Cyrus Kadivar, the auctioneers went to great ends to invoke the essence of mystery the departed princess evoked wherever she went. Before the auction, they arranged an exhibition which Eric Beaussant hoped would "preserve her image in a dignified and graceful manner" {3}. A display of Soraya's jewelry included the stunning diamond Pahlavi Crown, a five-strand pearl necklace, an emerald ring, and a diamond bird brooch which Shah Palhavi gave her on their honeymoon {3}. While the display was stunning, it was the scent of jasmine filling the air that left an indelible impression upon Cyrus Kadivar.

Royal Estate Benefits German State

The auction of the Princess's estate, which took place on May 29-31, 2002, realized over $6 million. According to Irene Zoech, writing on April 6, 2003, the proceeds of this astonishing sale were turned over the finance office of North Rhine Westfalia in Germany. Ms. Zoech reported that Princess Soraya's jewelry comprised ₤1.3 million (approximately $1.89 million in 2002). Hartmut Meuller-Gerbes, spokesman for the region's finance office, stated that the money would be put to "good use, although it will not be possible to say exactly what it will be used for. It will just go into the general pool, for the benefit of everyone" {6}. Ms. Zoech writes that the funds could wind up "paying for street lights, rubbish collection and other public amenities" in the district where Princess Soraya's brother lived and died {6}. While it may seem a tragic end, at least the money has been put to good use for the benefit of her brother's country. ~Angela Magnotti Andrews, Staff Writer

References

1. Afkhami, Gholam Reza. The Life and Times of the Shah. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press, 2008.
2. Bakhtiari Family. "Soraya Esfandiari Bakhtiari." Accessed February 2015.
3. Kadivar, Cyrus. "Soraya: Fragments of a Life," The Iranian, June 25, 2002.
4. "Late Princess Soraya's Personal Effects Sell for $6 Million," Hello Magazine, June 3, 2002.
5. Order of Splendor. "Wedding Wednesday: Queen Soraya's Gown," October 26, 2011.
6. Zoech, Irene. "Fortune of Shah's former wife goes to German state," The Telegraph, April 6, 2003.