In 1955, when Patrick was still a young child, a dispute developed between his mother and his uncle, the Shah. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi wanted Patrick to receive what he considered an appropriate education for a future member of the Iranian royal family. The Shah wanted Patrick enrolled at the Maria Jose School in Switzerland, where he could receive an education suited to his position and remain within a controlled environment connected to the royal household.
Patrick’s mother, however, reportedly wanted him to live closer to her in Paris. The disagreement became sufficiently serious that Patrick was placed under what contemporary accounts describe as “protective custody.” Police guarded his suite at the Hotel Excelsior in Italy while the dispute was being resolved.
Eventually, his mother agreed to the Shah’s wishes and Patrick was enrolled at the Swiss school. The conflict did not end there. In March 1955, his mother reportedly removed him from the school without informing the Iranian embassy or Swiss authorities. The episode illustrates the unusual circumstances of Patrick’s childhood, in which questions about his education, residence, and guardianship were intertwined with the political interests of the Iranian monarchy.
For Patrick, succession was therefore not an abstract historical issue. It was a question that affected his childhood directly.
