) is the eldest child of Aga Khan IV

Aga Khan IV

Prince Karim, Aga Khan IV, NPk, NI, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH, GCM is the 49th and current Imam of the Shia Imami Nizari Ismaili Muslims. He has held this position under the title of Aga Khan since July 11, 1957, when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan...

. She attended Institut Le Rosey

Institut Le Rosey

Institut Le Rosey, commonly referred to as Le Rosey or simply Rosey, is a school, in Gstaad, Switzerland. It is described as one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the world. The school was founded by Paul-Émile Carnal in 1880 on the site of the 14th-century Château du Rosey near the town...

 and Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

, from where she graduated in 1994 with a degree in Development Studies

Development studies

Development studies is a multidisciplinary branch of social science which addresses issues of concern to developing countries. It has historically placed a particular focus on issues related to social and economic development, and its relevance may therefore extend to communities and regions...

. She married Mark Boyden, an Anglican, in a civil ceremony on 21 June 1997.
The couple have a daughter, Sara, and a son, Iliyan.

After her graduation, from Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 with a BA

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 (Honors) in 1994, Princess Zahra joined the Secretariat of His Highness the Aga Khan at Aiglemont estate

Aiglemont estate

The Aiglemont estate is an estate at Gouvieux in the Picardie region of France and functions as the secretariat of His Highness Prince Karīm al-Hussaynī Āgā Khān IV. It is headquarters of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the largest international development networks in the world....

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

She is Director of the Social Welfare Department at the Secretariat, and is also responsible for specific social development institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network

Aga Khan Development Network

The Aga Khan Development Network is a group of private, non-denominational development agencies that seek to empower communities and individuals to improve living conditions and opportunities, in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East...

 (AKDN). These include Aga Khan Education Services, Aga Khan Health Services and Aga Khan Planning and Building Services. Princess Zahra also works with institutions supported by the Ismaili

Ismaili

' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...

 community in the areas of social welfare, women's activities and youth programs.

She chairs the International Social Development and Sports Foundation (ISDSF) which seeks to act as a catalyst for replicable, short-term programs addressing issues facing youth, women and the elderly in developed and developing countries alike. Princess Zahra is also a member of the Aga Khan Development Network Committee.

Like her father, Princess Zahra is a fan of Thoroughbred horse racing

Thoroughbred horse race

Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...

and has begun racing horses in her own name.