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For all his dislike of imposed formality, however, the Shah realizes its necessity in Iran. He is determined to make his coronation this month a ceremony that Iranians will never forget. Teheran's Golestan Palace has been remodeled—and reinforced with steel—for the occasion. Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on what will be the world's largest public square—almost five times bigger than St. Peter's. Six million colored light bulbs have been imported to turn on the streets of the capital, and millions of dollars worth of fireworks will rocket through its skies.
The Shah's own crown will outshine the neon. Made for his father, the autocratic Reza Shah, in 1924, it is studded with 3,380 diamonds, 368 pearls, two sapphires and five enormous emeralds, weighs a total of 10,400 carats. The lissome Empress Farah, 28, will be crowned with a diadem designed by Van Cleef & Arpels of Paris, and will wear a robe of green French velvet and gown of white Swiss silk on which 22 couturiers from the house of Dior have been working for four months. Farah is worthy of such extravagance. She has never allowed herself to be merely a palace ornament, has become her husband's closest partner in the development of Iran. She oversees his cultural, educational and children's-welfare programs, often takes his place at official ceremonies. And, if anything should happen to the Shah, she will take his place as Regent until Crown Prince Reza comes of age.
The cost of the official coronation celebrations will come to many millions of dollars—not counting the carloads of royal gifts to the Shah, such as the solid silver bridge table from the Prince of Pudakotah. The Shah has imported a $78,000 golden coronation carriage from Vienna and eight white carriage horses from Bulgaria. Throughout the country there will be balls, torchlight parades and folk-dancing festivals.
For most of the Shah's subjects, the celebrations will mark Iran's coming of age after 6,000 years and constitute a tribute to the man who has so improved their condition. Besides, there will be quite a bit of suspense: in hopes of having an heir born during the historic festivities, thousands of Iranian men consulted their calendars earlier this year, then made love to their wives. Hospitals all over Iran are expecting a population explosion on Coronation Day.
*His first wife, Egyptian Princess Fawzia, is now married to an Egyptian police official and lives in Cairo. His second wife, Soraya, whom he divorced in 1958 because she was incapable of bearing children, has tried to become an actress in Italian movies, spends most of her time in Europe.