A Princess of Wales

Chapter Two: Royal Christening

5th of April 1987 - Chapel Royal at St James's Palace

Smoothing out christening gown which had been created in 1841 for the christening of Victoria, Princess Royal; Diana took a deep breath as she stared down at her youngest child and only daughter. 

Adeline was everything that Diana had hoped for in a daughter, the only snag in her mind that the Windsor genes seemed rather strong in her youngest compared to her brothers but that wasn't something she could blame Adeline for. 

Holding her daughter in her arms, Diana stared down at the baby that had arrived into the world not two months before; she often wondered if the tiny thing realised how unhappy her parents were. 

"Are we ready?" Charles asked stiffly approaching his wife, his hands fidgeting with his tie and he eyed the dark blue dress that Diana had opted to wear for the christening. 

His tie had been chosen to match, the sight of unity between the couple despite the fact that they were at odds and had been since the birth of their last child. 

Diana nodded her head, she wanted this over with so that she might return to their home in Kensington and away from all the eyes that seemed to watch her every move and judge her. 

The couple moved forward, approaching the altar where the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie was waiting for them with a patient smile upon his face. 

It was always a blessing to be asked to conduct such events, he had been the one to christen both William and Harry upon their christenings in past years. 

Diana tuned out what the Archbishop was saying, staring down at her daughter as she slept peacefully in her arms; she didn't want to hand her over to anyone in fear that she might not be returned to her. 

There was no ignoring the whispers, even from her own family, those that doubted that her youngest daughter was even her husband's.

It would forever haunt Diana, her actions casting doubt on her daughter's paternity even Charles had doubted her when she was pregnant with Adeline. 

It had been the year previous that her relationship with Major James Hewitt had taken place, the man that had been the family's former riding instructor and Diana had sort him out on more than one occasion before discovering her pregnancy. 

It was only then that she had dared cast him aside, fearing what people would say if her child proved to be anyone else's. 

Thankfully Adeline favoured her father in looks, she was a Windsor and that was all that matter to Diana; her beloved daughter would never be seen as less than her two older brothers.

The ceremony seemed like a blare to Diana, only handing her daughter to the Archbishop when it was required for her to do so; her blue eyes watching like a hawk as the man blessed her daughter before she was handed over to Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips. 

Anne had been named one of the godparents to the youngest Wales child, the others included Sarah, Duchess of York, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, David Armstrong-Jones, James Colthurst and Sir Nicholas Soames all of whom were close with Diana and Charles. 

Close friends and family that the couple felt that they could trust with their youngest, Diana was thankful that certain people had been included in the list of potential godparents by her husband. 

"She's a beautiful girl," Anne noted moving to hand the baby back to Diana, a small smile directed at her sister-in-law as she peered down at Adeline who seemed to have drifted back off to sleep. 

It was certainly a calmer event than the last christening that had been held by the family, Harry had been rather a fussy baby and had cried throughout the service even when in his mother's arms.