A new book by Manx-born author Robert Kermeen examines the life and influence of Queen Soraya Bakhtiari, the second wife of the Shah of Iran, and poses a provocative question: Did Queen Soraya’s divorce destroy a dynasty?

The author’s fascination with Queen Soraya dates back to a question he was asked as a student at Castle Rushen High School, an incident described in the book’s prologue.

His research, which spans more than a decade, involved extensive correspondence with two of Soraya’s cousins - one based in Spain and another in Iran - providing previously unpublished insights into the Empress’s life and divorce.

The biography traces Soraya Bakhtiari’s journey from her birth in Isfahan in 1932 to her marriage at age 18 to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran.

It places her life within the turbulent political backdrop of early 1950s Iran, including the 1953 coup d’état that overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq after his attempt to nationalise the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

As Empress, Soraya became known for her social reforms and philanthropy, establishing hospitals, schools, and literacy programmes, as well as founding a publishing house translating classic works into Farsi. Her popularity reportedly eclipsed that of the Shah and his family, causing resentment within the royal household.

After seven years of marriage without producing an heir, Soraya and the Shah divorced in 1958. The Shah’s decision to publicly blame her for their separation, and his failed attempt to take a second wife, damaged his public image.

According to the book, Soraya’s departure marked the beginning of a decline in the Shah’s popularity that culminated in his exile two decades later and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Crediting others for his research, Kermeen said: ‘I wish to thank Goli Bakhtiar for her invaluable help and encouragement in writing this story about her cousin, Soraya.

‘The unpublished information that Goli was able to give has made a big difference to the previous, undisclosed details around Soraya’s divorce from the Shah of Persia.

‘The title is 100% true. After the divorce, the Shah was no longer loved by the public.’

Kermeen, who writes under the pseudonym R.W. Kay, was born in Onchan and educated at Murray’s Road Primary School, Douglas High School for Boys, and Castle Rushen High School. Now living in Alsager, Cheshire, with his wife and rescue cat, Tom, he has three grown-up children.

He has published five novels - all with connections to the Isle of Man - and said the new project evolved over roughly ten years.

His earlier fiction often featured characters inspired by Soraya, and he has delivered talks on her life to more than fifty organisations, including U3A, PROBUS, and Women’s Institutes.

The book is published by Troubador and is available through bookshops, Waterstones’ website, and Amazon - priced at £19.99.