| Prince Sultan Hamid Mirza Qajar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Heir Presumptive Qajar dynasty | |
| Reign | 1975–1988 |
| Predecessor | PrinceFereydoun Mirza |
| Successor | PrinceMohammad Hassan Mirza |
| Head of the Qajar dynasty | |
| Reign | 1975–1988 |
| Predecessor | PrinceFereydoun Mirza |
| Successor | PrinceMahmoud Mirza |
| Born | 23 April 1918 Tabriz,Azerbaijan,Iran |
| Died | 5 May 1988(1988-05-05) (aged 70) London,United Kingdom |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Mahin Dokht Malek-Mansur Soudabeh Afshar |
| Issue | Prince Mohammad Hassan Mirza |
| Dynasty | Qajar |
| Father | Prince Mohammad Hassan Mirza |
| Religion | Shia Islam |
Prince Sultan Hamid Mirza Qajar (Persian:حمید میرزا قاجار; April 23, 1918 – May 5, 1988) was the head andheir presumptive of theQajar dynasty, the former ruling dynasty ofIran, and the son of the last Qajar Crown Prince of Iran.
He was born inTabriz, the son ofCrown Prince Mohammad Hassan Mirza and his second wife Mohtaram Razzaghi.[citation needed] His early years were spent atGolestan Palace until he was sent by his father at the age of 4 to be educated inEngland. On his way to England he visited his grandfatherMohammad Ali Shah Qajar inConstantinople. His grandfather had abdicated in 1909 after theIranian Constitutional Revolution. He did not go to England as his grandfather felt he was too young to go. Instead he lived with his grandfather: first in Constantinople, and later inSan Remo,Italy, where his grandfather died on 5 April 1925. After the death of his grandfather, Hamid Mirza and his older brotherHossein Mirza moved toParis for a year. When the Qajar dynasty was overthrown in 1925, Hamid Mirza and his brother moved to England with their father.[1] His brother, Hossein, subsequently emigrated to Canada and worked as an architect in Toronto.
In 1934 Hamid Mirza enrolled in theThames Nautical Training College aboard HMSWorcester inGreenhithe,Kent. He graduated in 1936 with a nautical degree and joined theRoyal Mail Steam Packet Company as a cadet. After three years with the Royal Mail, Hamid Mirza left to joinMobil Oil.
At the outbreak ofWorld War II, Hamid Mirza tried to join theRoyal Navy but was not accepted. He was finally accepted into the Navy in 1942. He served as a sub-lieutenant onHMSDuke of York andHMSWild Goose.Foreign SecretaryAnthony Eden asked him to adopt a British name for his service, due to possible political or diplomatic complications. He used the name "David Drummond" during his naval service.[2] The name was chosen in part after David, the son of his friend Richard Thesiger, and in part after the "Bulldog Drummond" character.[citation needed] Hamid Mirza states that the name simply came out of a telephone book.[3]
During the war there were discussions between the British government and Hamid Mirza and his father about the possible restoration of the Qajar dynasty, sinceReza Shah had been deposed. Hamid Mirza and his father were both candidates for the throne. But Hamid Mirza was not seriously considered, as having lived in England since the age of six, he did not speakPersian.[1]
After the war Hamid Mirza returned to Mobil Oil. In 1957, he returned to Iran for the first time since he had left as a four-year-old, taking up a position inTehran. During his time in Iran, he was arrested on two occasions bySAVAK. He left Iran in 1971 to return toLondon.[2]
He became head and the Heir Presumptive of the Qajar dynasty on the death of his cousinFereydoun Mirza on 24 September 1975. Upon his death on 5 May 1988 in London, his sonMohammad Hassan Mirza II became the Heir Presumptive of the Qajar dynasty while his uncle,Mahmoud Mirza became the new head of the dynasty.[4]
He married twice. In 1946, he married Mahin Dokht Malek-Mansur (born in 1924), inParis. They had two children:[citation needed]
They were divorced in 1957. On 25 August 1960, he married Soudabeh Afshar (born in 1924) inTehran. This marriage was childless.[citation needed]
Hamid Mirza Born: 23 April 1918 Died: 5 May 1988 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Head of the Imperial House of Qajar | Succeeded by |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by | — TITULAR — Shah of Iran Qajar dynasty 1975–1988 Reason for succession failure: Pahlavi dynasty became ruling house prior to theIranian Revolution | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
