Yasmine Pahlavi, the Crown Princess of the former Imperial State of Iran, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The Crown Princess announced the news herself via her official Facebook page. She wrote, “Dear friends, I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This is a difficult time, but I am inspired by the strength and courage of the women of Iran. I hope to use this opportunity to share more about the importance of cancer awareness and women’s health more generally. The operation is tomorrow morning. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.”
Yasmina Pahlavi (born Etemad-Amini) was born in Tehran on 26 July 1968, where she attended the private Tehran Community School until the family was forced to leave Iran. They settled in the United States, in the San Francisco area. She graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from George Washington University. She worked as a staff attorney for the Children’s Law Center in Washington DC for ten years.
On 12 June 1986, Yasmine married Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, the son of the late Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran and his third wife Farah Diba. They have three daughters together, Princess Noor Pahlavi (born 1992), Princess Iman Pahlavi (born 1993) and Princess Farah Pahlavi (born 2004). The family lives in exile in the United States, and the elder two Princesses are attending universities in the United States. Princess Farah is currently in secondary school. Reza Pahlavi left Iran in 1977 for air force flight training in the United States while his father was overthrown in 1979.
During the 2017–18 Iranian protests, some demonstrators chanted slogans in favour of Pahlavi’s father and called for his return, though this came to nothing.
