National Affairs: Informal Visit

Five years ago His Imperial Majesty Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, the Shah of Iran, made a state visit to the U.S.

Despite the cocoon of protocol that enveloped him, the Shah liked the country, took some pleasant impressions back to Teheran. Last week, after some turbulent times in Iran, the Shah was back again. He had two purposes in mind: 1) to relax and show his beautiful Queen Soraya the wonders of the U.S., and 2) to get U.S. medical opinion on why they have no children after four years of marriage.

The problem of parenthood is worrisome for the Shah. In 1948, after nine years, he divorced Princess Fawzia, the astonishingly beautiful sister of Egypt’s ex-King Farouk. Fawzia had no son, and Princess Shahnaz, the only child of that marriage, is barred from succession by Iranian law. Since the death of the Shah’s brother, Prince Ali Reza, in a plane crash last month (TIME, Nov. 15), there is no heir to the Peacock Throne of Persia.

Three Aces. As soon as they arrived, Their Imperial Majesties checked into New York Hospital for two days of physical examinations, with special reference to the dynastic problem. In the midst of the checkups the Shah took time off for some fast sets of tennis on the indoor clay court at Manhattan’s River Club. He gave the club pro a good game, aced him three times.

During their New York stay the Shah and Queen attended two hit plays. Tea and Sympathy, and The Teahouse of the August Moon, and two musicals, Fanny and Pajama Game, and danced stiffly at the St. Regis Hotel’s Maisonette. Then they took off for Washington in President Eisenhower’s Super-Constellation. Columbine III. No information on the doctors’ findings reached the public.

In the capital, the dark-haired 22-year-old Queen, snuggled in an opulent blue mink coat, dazzled everyone. Because their visit was informal (“he’s paying his own way,” said a protocol officer), the royal couple put up at the imposing pink-brick Iranian embassy instead of the White House. But the Eisenhowers had them over to lunch, and Mamie showed Soraya around the place.

One day while her husband was lunching with the press, the Queen decided to go shopping. Guided by a lady in waiting, she bought several hats (small, to go with her new Italian hairdo) and sampled her first American hot dog and chocolate malted at a Hot Shoppe.

Mosque & Motel. One morning the Shah, trailed by a procession of aides and photographers, walked from the embassy to Washington’s mosque (“It is the tradition,” the Shah explained, “to approach a mosque on foot”). Another morning, he got up early for a canter along the bridle paths of Rock Creek Park. After days of partying, the Shah and his retinue (14 persons altogether) packed their bags (95 pieces, totaling 5,000 Ibs.) and took off for San Francisco. This week Their Majesties will drive to Los Angeles, stopping overnight in a motel, arriving in time for Christmas, a Hollywood tour and the Rose Bowl game.