Royally Screwed | Prince Harry

VI

Gigi sat in the drawing room of Clarence House the London home of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall for the obligatory "princess lessons". It occurred to Gigi that this wasn't a Disney movie and no matter how much she'd love it Julia Andrews wasn't waiting on the other side of the door ... her great aunt was. Mary, a long lived daughter of the Cavendish family she'd been a member of Elizabeth II court since 1962.

According to Harry everybody and by that he meant woman, who married into the firm has to undergo these lessons. Kate had three years of lessons  before she was even engaged, learning etiquette, royal protocol, how to speak, sit, eat and move like a princess.
Gigi had a few months to learn but then they didn't have Geoffrey Cavendish as a father who loved protocol and manners more than anything.

"I don't see the in point of this but I suppose it'll be good since I've had a refresher" she said to Harry who sat be side looking at her like she was a small child having a 'tantrum'
"Well it's because you're not princess material yet"
She scoffed "and what is princess material?" She raised a delicate eyebrow, sat up straighter, legs turning left slightly folding into a graceful slant hands gently folded on her lap, a demure smile on her face as she tilted head to stare at him.
"Okay that was ...quite good..."
"You seem confused, you do know who's conducting these lessons? My great aunt, who spent a month every summer tutoring my sister and I in court life in case we were called to serve the crown. Little did she know our fathers would hatch a plan to wed us"
"Speaking off your great aunt, she isn't aware of the ruse... so we are to be madly in love"
"Great" she replied with a sigh
"So are you saying you know everything?"
"No, I'm saying I've had lessons before... I'm sure there's little things I don't know but you know my father"

"So let's see, say we arrive at Sandringham for Christmas and we're the last to I arrive the whole family is in the room what do you do? "
"That depends are we married in this situation?"
"Yes"
"Easy" she stood up and performed a respectable curtsy "I'd first curtsy to her majesty, 'your majesty' and then refer to her a ma'am with a short 'a' like jam then the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge referring to them as your royal highness first then sir or ma'am unless instructed otherwise. As your wife I'd be the third ranking female in the room meaning while I'm with you I only have to curtsy to them. If I arrived without you I'd have to curtsy to all princess and princes of the blood as well"

"That's right except you forgot my grandfather"

"I did? Well I'd curtsy to him after the queen obviously"

He stared at her confused for a moment "Christ, I told you they'd been grooming you for this all your life"

"No, I was groomed to possibly be a lady of the court for your sister in law or stepmother. Every generation someone in my family serves yours and has for generations. It's tradition and you've met my family, he maybe an arse but he's extremely proper. It's his life, his Grace the Duke of Devonshire"

"Well you said something right, he is an arse" he laughed "in fact your the only member of your family I can stand"

"James my eldest brother isn't bad, he's actually very laid back"

"I've not met him I don't think"

"Probably not, he spends most of his time in America"

"Lucky him"
"Very" she smiled "he can never know the truth, he'd be so angry at my father" she said sadly thinking about how her favourite sibling would react.
            __________________________

"You're posture is excellent as always"

"Thank you"  Gigi replied to her great aunt
"These first lessons we shall recap the basics, but then we'll go cover everything from history of the royal family, the court of St. James, clothing, greeting foreign guests, when to speak, what to say and when to stay silent. This life isn't easy Gigi, it's imperative that you represent to crown and our family well"