Farah Pahlavi, widow of the shah, says she still enjoys the affection of Iranians and hopes a new film about her life will look beyond the cruelty of her husband’s regime

Adam Sage, Paris

The Times

Forced into exile when the ayatollahs imposed a theocracy in Iran, the late shah and his family have been vilified by the regime for 46 years. Yet Farah Pahlavi, the shah’s widow and Iran’s last queen, says she still enjoys the affection and support of ordinary Iranians.

“They send me emails with their telephone numbers. And I call them, and it’s very strange because they recognise my voice,” she said. “And they say: ‘Hello shahbanu [queen consort]’. And I say: ‘Don’t say that’ because I’m afraid the [Iranian] government is listening to them.

“But after all the lies that [Iran’s religious rulers] have said about us … I am very happy to see and hear the sympathy and kindness of my compatriots before I die.” >>>