Empress Soraya

During the second half of this December, Lebanon received an official visit from the two sovereigns of Iran: His Majesty the Shah, Reza Pahlavi, and Empress Soraya; and the Lebanese government honored her with the loftiest tokens of honor and welcome. The Lebanese University conferred upon His Majesty the Shah the title of doctor honoris causa in a charming ceremony, and several parties and banquets were given in honor of the two great guests.

We seize this happy occasion to present this brief sketch of Empress Soraya:

Concern for raising the social level in the kingdom was at the very core of the reform projects that His Majesty the Shah has taken in hand. Among the things he took up was the Institution for the Protection of Motherhood and Childhood, one of the living monuments among the achievements of his great father, Reza Shah the Great, who founded it in 1930. After him it remained the object of the care and attention of His Majesty Emperor Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who watched over it with a father's heart and the tenderness of love, and it was likewise embraced by the love and tenderness of Her Majesty Empress Soraya, who took over its direct administration and went on strengthening it and placing it within the reach of the needy among the classes of the people. The efforts of the two sovereigns joined hands and created a new spirit for the institution, which took an active part in distributing medicines, clothing, and fuel, and in erecting first-aid stations, maternity homes, midwifery services, and milk stations in various parts of the kingdom.

• Alongside her lofty and distinguished culture, Her Majesty has a special hobby of skiing on the snows. She has practiced this hobby more than once at the winter resort of "Sun Valley" in the United States, and she is today with His Majesty the Emperor in the Cedars region for two days to engage in this sport.

• Her Majesty has a favorite hobby of riding horses. She often practices this hobby in the forest surrounding the royal palace in the region of "Bab al-Sha'r" in Iran, where she usually spends periods of rest with His Majesty the Emperor.

• Among the kinds of sport that also attract Her Majesty are water-skiing and swimming, and she has undertaken several exercises to perfect this hobby on the island of Capri, in Italy, where she spent a period of time with His Majesty the Shah on the shore by the swimming pool of the hotel "Song of the Sea."