Marriage of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Fawzia

Princess Fawzia was the daughter of Fuad I, the seventh son of Ismail the Magnificent. She descended from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty.

She was also known as Fawzia Chirine (or Shirin), having married to Colonel Ismail Chirine, Egyptian diplomat of Circassian origin, in 1949.

Princess Fawzia was born Her Sultanic Highness Princess Fawzia bint Fuad at Ras el-Tin Palace, Alexandria,

Her maternal great-grandfather was Major-General Muhammad Sharif Pasha, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was of Albanian origin

Her beauty was often compared to that of film stars Hedy Lamarr and Vivien Leigh.

The marriage of Princess Fawzia to Iran's Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was planned by the latter's father, Rezā Shāh 
Princess Fawzia of Egypt and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi were engaged in May 1938.However, they saw each other only once before their wedding

Following the marriage, the Princess was granted Iranian nationality. Two years later the crown prince succeeded his exiled father and was to become the Shah of Iran

Soon after her husband’s ascent to the throne, Queen Fawzia appeared on the cover of the 21 September 1942, issue of Life magazine, photographed by Cecil Beaton,

The marriage was not a success. Queen Fawzia (the title of empress was not yet used in Iran at that time) moved to Cairo in May 1945