Prince Harry of Wales is engaged to marry a beautiful American actress. He loves her...or so he keeps telling himself. He's ready to marry. She's the one. She has to be.
So why is he having so many doubts?
And then, a chance meeting with aspiring cl...
I sucked in a deep breath of relief, suddenly light-headed. Harry's reaction was not so obvious, but I felt some of the tension leave his body.
"I think it is crucial that we take control of the narrative before the rumors get out of hand," the Queen continued. "But before I make any official announcements, we need to decide how the situation will be presented."
By "we" she must have meant she and Prince Charles, because the two carried on without pausing for any input from Harry and I.
"The press must already have some kind of proof of the marriage, so there is no use in our denying it," Prince Charles said. "A straightforward communication, brief and to the point, announcing your approval of their union, would be best."
"And then what?" the Queen demanded. "People expect a wedding. Harry is quite popular with the young people, and a royal wedding is always good publicity for the family."
"I'm sure there would be a bit of a to-do about the cost of a royal wedding if they are already married," Prince Charles argued. "Let them have a ceremony with a blessing from the Archbishop like Camilla and I had if you think we need to mark the occasion with some sort of public ceremony. And the sooner the better."
"Harry? What do you think?" the Queen asked.
Watching the back-and-forth from the sidelines like it was a tennis match, I was surprised to see the ball lobbed to Harry, but he responded quickly. Looking to me for confirmation, he said, "If you would like us to have some sort of ceremony, I'm sure Samantha and I would be happy to oblige. And thank you for your patience and acceptance of our marriage."
"Yes ma'am," I agreed hastily. "But really, we don't need anything elaborate. Something simple is fine with me."
Prince Charles laughed heartily. "I can't remember the last time a royal bride asked for something simple. It's quite refreshing."
"Sam is not your typical royal bride," Harry said, giving me a little grin. "But I agree—something simple and low-key."
"Finding a date for the ceremony on such short notice will be a challenge," the Queen said thoughtfully, "but I will have my private secretary find a date in the next few months that will work for everyone involved. Shall we have the ceremony here, in St. George's Chapel?"
I shot Harry a questioning look. I had no idea what the chapel looked like or what my options were. I vaguely remembered Prince Charles and Lady Diana getting married at St. Paul's Cathedral, but that seemed rather fancy for the simple ceremony I was hoping for.
"The chapel here is very beautiful, and it's a far more private location than Will and Catherine had," Harry told me. "Several of my family have gotten married there. We can walk over later and have a look."
"Will the ceremony be on TV?" I asked suddenly.
"It's usually expected," Prince Charles said. "What would you and Harry prefer?"
I looked at Harry and shrugged. I remembered our quiet, secret wedding in Vancouver, with just the two of us to celebrate the moment, and my stomach began to knot up at the thought of TV cameras focused on our every move, detailing every thread of our outfits, deciphering every look between us.
"We don't have to decide that right now," Harry said, nudging his knee closer to mine and rubbing my hand with his thumb. "Give us some time to discuss it."
"Yes, of course," the Queen said. "That can be announced later."
"Thank you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"It is a bit much to deal with all at once," she said. "These things take time. However, I would like to discuss two important details before we part—your titles and where you will live."
I didn't care what my title would be, and I was happy at Nott Cott, but I waited to see what the Queen's pronouncement was.
"As is customary, I will be granting you a dukedom, Harry, which I will announce along with your marriage. You will be given the title of Duke of Sussex and Samantha, you will become the first Duchess of Sussex. And as I am sure you will be wanting to look for a larger home, I thought you might be interested to know that the lease on Barnwell Manor is coming up soon, and it could be granted to you as well. It's somewhat remote, but it's a nice large property."
Harry smiled. "You are very generous, Granny, and your thoughtfulness is appreciated. You've given Sam and I a lot to talk about."
"Yes, perhaps we should let them go. Samantha looks quite overwhelmed by all of this," Prince Charles said kindly. "Take her for a walk or to the stables to see that lovely gray mare Camilla was telling me about."
Prince Charles was right. I was past the point of overwhelmed and my hands were shaking. There were several more minutes of extended thanks and goodbyes, and then Harry and I were outside, the bulk of Windsor Castle disappearing behind us as we walked.
"I think we'll come back another time to look at the chapel," he said, stopping to pull me into a hug. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Better now," I said with a weak laugh. "Sorry about that."
"No need to apologize."
We walked on a bit more through the dappled shade. "Are you happy with the outcome?" I asked at length.
"Yes. I am very happy being married to you," he said, "but being in Granny's good graces will make life much, much easier for all of us. Although I'm not sure we'll want to move to Barnwell—it is very remote, as Granny says. Plenty of acreage for horses though. Did I mention it still has the ruin of an old castle on the grounds? Place is probably filthy with ghosts."
I laughed. "Sounds perfect. I can hardly wait to see it."
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