She was born in Tehran to Sohrab Diba and Farideh Diba, she was the only child. Her father Sohrab was a military officer whose family was originally from Azerbaijan, he died when she was a child. Her mother oversaw Farah's education. While a student, she met the Shah numerous times. He eventually proposed to her, and the two were wed on December 21, 1959. She gave birth to four children with the Shah: