Begum Ameera Aga Khan
Ameera Aga Khan | |
|---|---|
امیرا آقاخان | |
 | |
| President of Iran | |
| Assumed office 1 January 2016 | |
| Vice President | Davoud Golzar |
| Preceded by | Aga Khan IV |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Princess Catherine Hanover January 28, 1969 Buckingham Palace, London |
| Nationality | |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Aga Khan IV (m. 1998) |
| Children | Abbas Aga Khan Salim Aga Khan |
| Parents |
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Begum Ameera Aga Khan (born Princess Catherine Hanover; 28 January 1969) is a British-Iranian politician, philanthropist, and activist currently serving as President of Iran since 2015.
The first and only female to hold the presidency in Iranian history, Ameera was originally born Princess Catherine of the British Hanoverian royal family, as the only daughter of King Charles III of the United Kingdom. In 1998, following a relatively successful modelling career, Ameera married the Ismaili religious leader, the Aga Khan IV, during which she converted to Shia Islam and renamed herself to Ameera Aga Khan.
During the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, Ameera, together with her husband, emerged as influential figures in the Iranian protest movement, a status which, following the successful overthrow of the Islamic Republic government in favour of a secular one, led to Ameera's husband, the Aga Khan IV being elected President of Iran, with herself becoming First Lady of Iran.
Despite her status as the First Lady of Iran, Ameera, often in support of her husband, played a somewhat active role in re-establishing cordial relations between Iran and the wider community, as well as promoting and sponsoring various social reforms to improve the lives of women and other groups in Iran.
In 2015, after President Aga Khan IV opted not to seek re-election, Ameera, by then a somewhat popular and well-liked figure in Iran, opted to run for the presidency as an independent, which she successfully did by winning 67% of the popular vote in the 2015 Iranian presidential election. Since then, as President, Ameera has largely continued or expanded on her previous efforts at modernising Iran, be it politically, economically, and socially. In 2020, Ameera was successfully re-elected for a second term with 62% of the popular vote, becoming the first woman to be elected and subsequently re-elected as president in the history of Iran.