SHAH OF IRAN CORONATED

TEHERAN, OCT. 26. Mohammed Reza Pahlevi crowned himself as Shah (King) of Iran in a lavish ceremony in the Gulistan Palace here today after ruling the country for 26 years.

Rising from the dazzling gold peacock throne containing over 1 ton of gold and studded with nearly 27,000 jewels in the shape of a peacock’s tail, the Shah kissed the Holy Koran.

Then the Shah, 48 today, and wearing the blue uniform of the supreme commander of the imperial armed forces, buckled on a golden belt with a single giant jewel, fastened on the royal sword and donned the bejewelled Kashmir coronation robe.

Finally the Shah lifted the priceless Pahlevi crown, placed it upon his head and raised the glittering royal sceptre in a triumphant gesture amid shouts of “Javid Shah” (long live the Shah) from the audience assembled in the hall of the 18th century palace.

Then, the beautiful 29-year-old Empress Farah, in a white satin gown sparkling with jewels, knelt before her husband to become the first women ever to be crowned in the 2,500-year history of the Persian monarchy.

Their son, the seven-year-old crown prince Reza, watched wide-eyed from his chair nearby as the Shah placed a crown made of 3.5 lbs (1,600 grammes) of platinum and hundreds of precious stones on the Empress’s head.

— REUTER.