Princess Adeline of Wales

Chapter Eighty-Four: Visiting Diana

Diana, Princess of Wales

1 July 1961 - 31 August 1997

Gone but never forgotten

Simon followed her as they made their way through the vault, grave effigies directed several graves in the area and they made their way to the window. 

Ducking down to lay the flowers that she had brought with her, Adeline stared at the grave where her mother had been laid to rest; she'd never really given much thought to where she'd end up. 

Most of the Windsors were in St George's Chapel or the royal burial ground in Frogmore, she guessed that would be her destiny as well one day. 

Simon stared down at the grave, unsure for a moment what to say and he stood there gathering his thoughts while Adeline placed the flowers neatly upon the grave. 

Then the pair stood in silence for a moment, taking in the silence of the church. 

Simon cleared his throat as he pulled something from his pocket, ducking down to place the note that he had written under the flowers that Adeline had laid so it wouldn't get blown away. 

It wasn't much, just things that he felt he would have said to her if he'd had the chance to meet her and ask her for her blessing to marry Adeline. 

"Hi mum, it's me. I know it's been awhile," Adeline said awkwardly, it felt strange to do this with Simon at her side but this was what she did when she visited her mother alone. 

It was rare that she did so, often attending the grave with her brothers to pay their respects but with things changing between the three of them with them all starting to settle down. 

William had Catherine and George now, his priorities were with his own family now while Adeline had Simon and they were planning their futures together. 

Then there was Harry, he was making his own mark by starting the Invictus Games this year; the launch was coming up and he had the first games in September here in London. 

"I brought Simon to meet you. Sorry I didn't do it sooner," Adeline said nodding towards her fiancé, she didn't know why it didn't occur to her to bring him here sooner. 

They had been together nearly eight years now, she didn't really talk about her mother if she could help it; it felt strange to do so especially after all these years, she didn't talk about her mother outside of her family. 

It didn't feel right to share the memories that she had of her, not to the cult that had all but made her a saint; she could do no wrong and everyone else was at fault no matter who it was. 

"It's nice to meet you. I wish I'd come sooner, I love your daughter very much and I promise that I will take care of her," Simon said, taking Adeline's hand in his own and speaking from the heart. 

He wanted Diana to know that he would always having Adeline's back, he would take care of her and support her in everything that she did; he knew it wasn't going to be easy but he would make this work. 

"I will always love her, I will honour and protect her. I will do my very best to keep her happy and safe, be the support that she needs and I am thankful for every day that I have with her," Simon continued on. 

It was the least that he could do, he knew that he was entering new territory by marrying Adeline and the role that he occupied would be very different from those that the Duchess of Cambridge. 

However that wouldn't stop him from doing what he could to support Adeline in what she did, he was here to stay; he would never let Adeline feel alone in all this. 

It wasn't easy and the media attention was never going to go away, they would have to get on with it; never courting them nor engaging them because it would only make it worse. 

"I think she would have liked you," Adeline said softly, she looked up at Simon knowing that she would never really know, if truth be told she really didn't know her mother, not really. 

William had been her confidant, the one that probably knew her better than anyone; she shared secrets with him and her worries, he was the one that she cried to when she needed a shoulder to cry on. 

Harry had been her favourite, even Adeline could admit that; her mother might not have ever admitted it but even a blindman could see how she treated her younger son. 

The coddling that had made him a bit of a nightmare to deal with when she was alive, something that had shaped the way he behaved in recent years. 

As much as she loved her mother, Adeline knew that she was one of the main reasons that Harry was the way that he was. 

"I hope so," Simon murmured wrapping his arm around Adeline's shoulders, he drew her close as he stared down at the grave and wondered if she would have actually liked him or would she have disapproved. 

Given how his relationship with Adeline had started, would she have welcomed him or thought that he was a social climber for going from being Harry's best friend to the fiancé of Adeline. 

The couple lingered a couple more minutes before they made their leave, wanting to sneak away before the crowds descended on the area; there had been reports of an influx of visitors to the Spencer estate since the announcement of Adeline's wedding. 

The same had happened when William and Catherine's wedding had been coming up and Adeline knew that the same would happen when Harry eventually got married.