Patrick Ali’s position as heir presumptive lasted until 1960. That year, Mohammad Reza Shah and Empress Farah Pahlavi had a son, Reza Pahlavi.
The birth of a male heir fundamentally altered the succession. Reza became heir apparent, while Patrick lost his previous position as the first person in line to the throne.
The change was significant not only constitutionally but also personally. Patrick had spent his early childhood being treated as a potential future monarch. With the birth of Reza, that possibility disappeared.
Reza Pahlavi would eventually become one of the best-known members of the former Iranian royal family. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, he lived in exile and became an advocate for political change in Iran. The relationship between the succession claims associated with Reza and Patrick has remained an important part of later discussions about the Pahlavi dynasty.
Opposition to the Shah
Patrick’s relationship with his uncle’s government became increasingly complicated as he grew older. Although he belonged to the royal family, he eventually became openly critical of the political system ruled by Mohammad Reza Shah.
After returning to Iran in the early 1970s, Patrick reportedly criticized corruption within the Shah’s regime. His opposition was notable because it came from within the ruling family itself.
In 1975, Patrick was arrested and imprisoned at Evin Prison in Tehran. According to his own accounts, he was subjected to repeated interrogations and psychological torture. Among the methods he has described was a fake execution, an experience intended to intimidate or psychologically break him.
