She was born in the English Missionary Hospital in Isfahan on 22 June 1932. She had one sibling, a younger brother, Bijan (1937–2001). Her family had long been involved in the Iranian government and diplomatic corps. An uncle, Sardar Assad, was a leader in the Persian Constitutional Revolution of the early 20th century.Soraya was raised in Berlin and Isfahan, and educated in London and Switzerland.
Following the marriage, Soraya headed the family charity in homeland. Soraya’s marriage was troubled as Mohammad Reza’s mother and sisters all saw her as a rival for his love just as they had with his first wife Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt, and continually snubbed and inflicted petty humiliations on her. Soraya hated Ernest Perron, the Shah’s best friend and private secretary.
