Real-life love story

I've always been a student of history. No, it's not some contemporary rock & roll band or some ironic title or acronym to some new wave form of yoga therapy or whatever the latest craze may be. I've always had an appreciation for history because it's always served as a reminder that history is more than just names, dates & a summary description of what had happened some place. It's a vast catalogue of human behavior & interaction. It shows not only what happened, but also what could happen. Hell, Dr. Phillip McGraw, a.k.a Dr. Phil, always said "the best determinant of future behavior is past behavior" & the man says that on a regular basis, so we already got that down. But human history isn't always about some significant event or some fanatical act of aggression. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that what you are about to read is probably one of the most romantic, yet heart-wrenching stories of "love". Not some rated-R romantic comedy that Hollywood would shove up your asses, but a real life event.
The state of Persia, now known as Iran, had been a monarchy, ruled by a Shah, by various royal families throughout the course of time. The last ruling family had been the Pahlavi line. The last ruler from that line had been Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He ruled for 38 years & despite certain criticism here & there, he managed to make certain reforms in Iran, including the expansion of the role of women in the country, which, excuse the pun, "royally" pissed off the Islamic clergy, but that's not the story.
The Shah had been married 3 times in his life, but it was his second wife, Soraya, who was to have the most effect on him.
After divorcing his first wife, the shah felt the need to remarry, for reasons not entirely of matrimonial requirement or love. He had had a daughter from his then-previous marriage, but required a male heir to the throne in order to secure his familial line's power base in Iran. According to the story, a relative of the queen-mother had shown a picture of the young Soraya, who was the daughter of the then-Iranian ambassador to west Germany & his Russian-born west-German wife. Living in Switzerland, she was summoned by the royal family to attend a dinner in honor of the newly single shah. Upon their initial introduction, she claimed to have found him to be "nice", but nothing beyond that. Much time would be spent between them, where they would interact, mingle, "date" for lack of a better word, but there were still no sparks.
The ice breaker came early in 1950, when a sudden epidemic ravaged Iran, infecting many, including the young Soraya. She quickly fell ill & was hospitalized. It's said that throughout the whole ordeal, the shah never left her side, nor did he even let go of her hand. Although she held on to life by a thread, she eventually survived & regained her health, but something extraordinary happened; young Soraya & the shah, had fallen in love, which was completely unexpected, but then again, we live in a world where a crisis can bring out the best & the worst in us all.
By February of 1951, the two were wed in a lavish ceremony that brought the warmest greetings from the heads of major states world wide. It was nothing short of a circus, but one that was very deserving of the pair. For the next seven years, they would perform their royal duties as sheer royalty, leading their country as fit rulers, rulers that the people of Iran were proud to have. In short, they were happy, the royal family was happy, Iran was happy. But it would not last.
The need for a male heir had still been an issue & despite them being a young, healthy couple in the prime of their lives, they simply could not get pregnant. Not that it stopped them from trying, if you believe the gossip that was spoken. Then again, anyone who has seen a picture of Soraya would be forgiven if his penis suddenly developed a mind of its own, but I'm straying off topic.
Seeing this as a potential problem, the royal council sought a solution for this. With their limited options, they could only draw one conclusion. As a practicing Moslem, the shah was allowed to take another wife, as per the practice of polygamy which is common in Islam. This second wife would be able to provide the shah with the male heir that he required. But this could only occur with the approval of the wife, i.e. Soraya.
Early one morning, Soraya was seated before the council & informed of their suggestion. She then asked what if she refused. Their response was that the king required a male heir, period. If she could not provide one, they would find one who could. However, she would still be the "Shahbanu" (empress), the main wife of the shah. But the line had to be secure, by any means.
Soraya refused their suggestion & in 1958, she & the shah were divorced. She left Iran & the shah stood before the country & shed tears as he informed his people of the divorce. They never saw each other again. By 1959, the shah had remarried & was blessed wit four children from his third wife, including Reza Pahlavi, who would later become the crown prince, thus securing his power base & the longevity of the royal bloodline. However, life, it would seem, is not without a sense of irony (For those of you who didn't recognize it, that was a quote. Lawrence Fishbourne, The Matrix, 1998).
In the late 1970's, internal tension arose between the royal government & secular factions, culminating in an all out war/street fight, which resulted in the overthrow of the monarchy, the exile of the royal family &, ultimately, the current government in Iran. The shah would remain married to his 3rd wife until his death from a long illness. It was often said that Soraya was a subject he would never speak of with anyone.
As for Soraya, she returned to Europe, where she became a member of the "jet-set", spoiled socialites forever club-hoping, bar-hoping, party-hoping. It was often said that in every picture she took, she never smiled. Not even until her death in 2001.
Looking back at that pivotal moment when she was made to choose, some would say that she made that decision, despite the fact that she loved the king. Perhaps, the truth was she chose not to allow him to have a 2nd wife because of her love for him. Who could ever share the sanctity of marriage?
After reading & researching this story for close to 2 years now, I find myself thinking that this is beyond poignant & heart breaking. Some might even begin to question the realism of it all, whether or not people are truly meant to be happy together in matrimony or if we're just setting ourselves up for a huge fall?
Politics aside, I saw a couple who were simply dealt a heavy hand by fate. They were in love & happy, but circumstances beyond their control drove them apart. Responsibilities to others were placed before their own desires. It's a harsh way to look at it, but that was the window through which they saw the world & they never blinked. I suppose at the end of the day, if someone where to read this & ask if love really does exist, my answer would be yes & no. Yes, it does exist. No, it's not all there is to it. It can bring two people together, but it's not a guarantee that it'll keep them that way.
Ultimately, that's the beauty of our world. The uncertainty of it is what makes life exciting & worth living. The risk of failure is what pushes us to succeed. The fear of falling down is what inspires us to always stay on our feet. But when we start playing it safe, we're just taking away part of that joy, the delight in the discovery, the joy of the journey, the thrill of the hunt, pick your cliché. Life is just like a night at Monte Carlo or Las Vegas. You're all in, you play to win & you leave emotion at the door. & by emotion, I mean doubt!! So, take the shot in whatever it is & maybe, you can find something that Soraya wasn't lucky enough to have. Or you can at least go through life knowing that it just wasn't meant to be regardless. The choice's yours.