Queen Designed Own Coronation Robes

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31501, 16 October 1967, Page 2

Queen Designed Own Coronation Robes

Queen Farah Dibah of Irani has designed the lavish robes and the crown she will wear at the coronation of the Shah and herself on October 26.

The Queen was, before her marriage, an art student in Paris.

Her coronation gown will be of relatively simple, classic line in white silk, though it will be richly encrusted with jewels. After the crowning ceremony, she will put on a green velvet cloak, which she has also designed. The nine-yard train will be elaborately embroidered with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, forming clusters of jewel-studded flowers in traditional Iranian

motifs with the Imperial insignia. \ ‘ The train will be borne by six pages in white silk suits with green velvet cuffs to harmonise with, the Queen’s robes. Her ladiesin-waiting will also wear white silk gowns. The Shah will wear his uniform as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Iran. Little Crown Prince Reza will wear a military cadet's outfit.

Queen Farah has also designed her crown. The Shah will wear the Pahlavi crown, made for his father, Reza Shah.

A representative from- the House of Dior, Paris, has been visiting the Royal Palace in Teheran to discuss the Queen's coronation robes. Some 20 top Iranian dressmakers have been working overtime in the huge basement of the Officer’s Club in Teheran, which has been converted into a workroom. A gold-bedecked State coach is being built in Vienna. It will be drawn by egiht white stallions from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. In this coach the Shah, the Queen and Crown Prince will drive from the Marble Palace round the city, escorted by horse guards and officials for their people to see them. The drive will end at the Golestan Palace, where an audience of 5000 local dignitaries and foreign ambassadors will see the Shah and the Queen crowned. October 26 is also the fortyeighth birthday of the Shah, who came to the throne of Iran in 1941.