As an empress during Sassanid times, the principal Shahbanu was also titled banbishnan banbishn ("Queen of Queens") analogous to the emperor's title shahanshah (lit. "King of Kings") to distinguish her from the other queens in the royal household.
Farah Pahlavi sometimes continues to be referred to as Shahbanu, as is customarily done internationally for titleholders associated with abolished monarchies, but the title is no longer valid in Iran. According to the Persian Constitution of 1906, Yasmine Pahlavi would currently hold this title.