Harry
I felt Sam tense as the Queen suggested she go look at the gardens with Camilla. Sam probably wasn't too interested in the gardens, especially since it was early spring and not much was in bloom, but Camilla was warm and friendly and could draw conversation out of anyone, so I knew Sam would not be uncomfortable for long. I gave Sam an encouraging look, and she nodded.
"I would love to look at the gardens, thank you, Ma'am, and hear more about the Beaufort hunt," Sam said. Camilla smiled at her, and together the two crossed the room, heads already together in horsey talk before they reached the door.
As the door closed behind them I looked at the Queen and waited for her to speak. She waited too, as if she was wanting me to confess something, which I was determined not to do. So I gave her an innocent look as if I had no idea what she was determined to discuss with me.
At long last the Queen said, "Samantha seems to be a very nice girl," as if Sam and I were still teenagers, and I hid a smile. "Very down to earth," she continued.
"I'm sure she and Camilla will get on famously," I said. "By the time they come back in they will probably have made a date to go to Highgrove and see the horses."
"Yes, she and Camilla have a lot in common," the Queen agreed. After a thoughtful pause she said, "You two seem to be very happy together."
"I am happier than I ever have been," I said, honestly, and waited for my grandmother to get to the crux of the matter.
"Her rings are quite lovely," the Queen said finally, "although I did not think I would ever see a woman wearing my grandfather's ring."
"My father gifted it to me years ago," I said, trying not to be defensive, "and I wanted Sam to have something of mine to wear. Besides, it looks good on her. She's not the...fussy type."
"Yes, she wears it well," the Queen said evenly, "although I did not think that such an heirloom would pass out of the family."
"Shall I ask for it back?" I said, hoping the anger that was building didn't show on my face or in my voice.
"That won't be necessary," the Queen said primly. "I was merely wondering if you gifted it to her because she is becoming like family to you."
I took a deep breath. "Being with Samantha is like coming home, Granny. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. We would like your blessing on our marriage."
"I believe the diamond came out of a ring that belonged to your mother," the Queen continued, unruffled. "In its new setting it has the look of an engagement ring."
The statement was loaded. I knew it.
"I told you earlier that I intended to marry Samantha," I said carefully.
"With my approval?" The Queen made it a question.
"You and I both know that I am required to have your approval to marry," I said, keeping my voice low with great effort.
She folded her hands in her lap and looked at me. She was dressed like a grandmother, casual and relaxed, but the look she gave me was that of the Queen.
"Would you like to tell me about your trip to Vancouver?" she asked.
She knew.
However she had found out, she knew that Sam and I were already married. Because, of course, you can't keep anything from the Queen, who has an army of staff to keep track of everything, including my whereabouts.
The Queen said nothing, merely continued to look at me, and I flashed through all the possible scenarios in my head, trying to decide the best approach to the situation.
"I know that by law I am required to have your approval to marry," I said, doing my damnedest to keep my voice calm and hopefully apologetic. "But you and I also know that I will never wear the crown. I'm never going to be king, Granny—and I'm fine with that. In a few weeks I will be bumped down to sixth in line to the throne. If Catherine and Will have another child after that—which is likely—I would then be seventh, and no longer require permission. Once my Cambridge nieces and nephews begin having their own families, I will slide even further down the line of succession."
"And is that why you chose to marry Samantha without my permission?"
The Queen's voice was stern, but I looked her in the eye. "I married Sam because I could marry no one else. And I did not trust Meg to walk away."
"And you did not trust me?"
That one hit me so hard I sat back on the couch, taking a few deep breaths to collect my thoughts.
"All my life I have struggled between doing what was right for our family and doing what I felt was right for me. All my life I have had the ghost of Edward VIII and his disastrous love affair that almost brought down the monarchy dangled over my head. All my life I lived under the shadow of an unhappy marriage that was made for duty and not love. I almost made the same mistake with Meg, but Samantha came into my life in time to stop me from making that mistake, to stop me from marrying someone who was more in love with the position and the title and the fairytale than the reality."
Deep breath. "I apologize for breaking the rules. I apologize for not asking your permission, for not waiting for your approval. I know it was wrong. I know you are disappointed in me. But I knew that once you met Samantha, once you spent some time with her and got to know her, you would understand why I had to marry her, why I could not take a chance that somehow Meg would interfere. And I hoped—I still hope—that you will give us your blessing."
The Queen looked thoughtful. I sat on my hands and forced myself to stay quiet.
"Were you prepared to face the consequences of not waiting, of not securing my approval?" she asked at length.
"I am prepared to face whatever consequences there are," I said. "I know that by breaking the Succession to the Crown Act and marrying without your consent I can be disqualified from inheriting the throne and removed from the line of succession, for myself and and any of my children. And I know that by losing my place in the line of succession it would change my life greatly. I would no longer be a working royal."
"And what does Samantha think of that possibility?"
I actually thought Sam might prefer that possibility, but I wasn't going to tell my grandmother that. "Samantha loves me, not what I am. It doesn't matter to her if I am a prince or not. She is prepared to accept whatever consequences there are. She didn't marry me to become a princess."
I really wanted to stand up, but I knew if I did I would start to pace, and either of those would be very rude, so with great effort I remained seated while the Queen took her time to mull it all over.
"I like Samantha," she said suddenly, to my surprise, "but 20 minutes over tea is not enough time to get to know her well enough to issue an official approval of your marriage, especially since it was done behind my back, so soon after breaking an official engagement and canceling your wedding to Meg. I am not sure what is the best way to proceed from here. I will need to discuss this with your father and my staff, perhaps even the Privy Council and the Archbishop of Canterbury, as we did when your father wished to marry Camilla. At least he waited for my consent before moving forward," the Queen admonished, "but, as you say, he will inherit the crown and you, most likely, will not."
"For now," she said, giving me a stern look, "you and Samantha will keep a low profile. You will keep your regular schedule of duties, and if there are appropriate occasions, Samantha may join you. You are to continue to behave as if you are not yet married, and Samantha will be addressed as if she is an unmarried woman. I will endeavor to find a solution to this...issue...as soon as possible."
I lifted my eyes to the ceiling and blew out a long breath I hadn't realized I was holding. It wasn't an official approval, but it sure as hell wasn't a dismissal and my immediate disqualification from the succession. It was probably the best I could hope for under the circumstances.
"Thank you, Granny."
She nodded and stood, and I knew I was dismissed. As I got to my feet, she said, "And one more thing."
I waited.
"My secretary will be in contact with Samantha. I would like her to join me to ride in the park a few times a week, and perhaps take tea afterwards. We need to become better acquainted."
I couldn't hold back a smile and although I wanted to lean over and give her a hug, I refrained. The invitation from my grandmother said everything the Queen could not officially say. "I'm sure Sam will be glad to join you."