The Royal Bonds: Family Life of Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Reza Shah’s eldest son and successor, grew up in an environment of luxury and fear. His father’s stern presence dominated his early years, and he often felt both admiration and anxiety toward him. As a child, he was sent to a Swiss boarding school, where he developed a taste for European culture and values. The distance from his father’s authoritarian control allowed him to form his own views about leadership, though he remained deeply influenced by the shadow of Reza Shah’s expectations.