Her Majesty Farah Pahlavi, a member of the prestigious Accademie des beaux-arts since 1973, attended the titular induction of Mr. Frédéric Mitterrand (Minister of Culture and Communication of France from 2009 to 2012) to the Academy. It is customary for every new member to be presented with a sword symbolizing a weapon that should be used only in defense of arts and culture. Queen Farah presented this symbolic sword to Mr. Mitterrand, and while doing so, Her Majesty recited a verse by the Persian poet Jaami,
(تن بود چون غلاف و جان شمشیر ** کار شمشیر میکند نه غلاف
(تن بود چون غلاف و جان شمشیر ** کار شمشیر میکند نه غلاف
roughly translated as “The body of man is a sheath in which the soul is locked like a sword’.
Notable dignitaries in attendance included the French Minister of Culture Mr. Frank Riester, HRH Prince Karim Al-Hussaini (Agha Khan IV) who is the current imam of Ismailism, Grande-Duchesse Maria Teresa de Luxembourg, Princess Chantal of France, and Prince & Princess Michel of Greece. Many other renowned cultural figures and artists were also present.
