Shah of Iran
Farouk I
King of Egypt
Menu dated 4th March 1939
Dinner hosted by His Majesty King Farouk of Egypt at the Abdine Palace, Cairo, for the betrothal of his sister Her Royal Highness Princess Fawzia to the Crown Prince (future Shah) of Iran, His Imperial Highness Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
The last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, married three times with his first being to Princess Fawzia who was the sister of King Farouk of Egypt. When the Shah married Fawzia he was still Crown Prince of Iran during the reign of his father, Shah Reza.
This menu is from the very first day that the future Emperor set eyes upon his future wife. The marriage was an arranged one with two ceremonies to take place – the first in Cairo on 16th March and the second in Tehran, the capital of Iran, the following month.
But first, the Iranian Crown Prince had to meet his 17 year-old future wife; and so it was that he arrived in Cairo on the day of this menu. The New York Times (4 March 1939) reported: “A special train brought the Crown prince to Cairo early in the afternoon. At the royal palace he was greeted by [King] Farouk, who then escorted him to the Blue Room, where he met the Princess for the first time.
At the banquet that night, guests partook in this 22 course buffet which mixed traditional Egyptian dishes, such as stuffed vine leaves and pistachio baklava, with elaborate French creations including pheasants with artichoke hearts stuffed with chestnuts; and crayfish topped with caviar and truffles.
The menu was written in both French and Arabic and carried the twin royal seal of Egypt and imperial seal of Iran.
Two years later the couple acceded to the Iranian throne; but the marriage ended in divorce in 1945.
