At Buckingham Palace2
Click-fwoom!
"OK, sir, take her Majesty's hand, yes, yes, like that...and lean in close- yes! Perfect!"
Click-fwoom!
Click-fwoom!
Click-fwoom!
The photographer finally put down his camera. "Thank you, Your Majesties."
He bowed with a flourish, almost as if he was ending a production, and gathered up his materials: a suitcase of dinner-plate sized bulbs, an expensive-looking shiny carbon fibre tripod, several cameras of varying sizes, an iPhone (that the rodent-featured attendant and similarly shifty adviser had objected to) and another suitcase containing the necessary paperwork.
Kate sighed with relief and stood up to leave. A stab of terror coursed through her veins as she felt the crown slide off her head. Her hand flew up, but another pair, cupped and manly, swooped in to catch it. She turned to William. King William. "Thanks," she murmured, noting the purple cloak, fringed with ermine, the staff of gold and crown (silver, peaked to a single ruby, quarter-filled with red velvet) balanced effortlessly. It was like he'd been preparing for this day his entire life.
Oh, yeah. He had.
They returned to their apartment in silence. It was an ordinary day. Well, it would have been- at least for Kate. If she hadn't married Will, if she hadn't met Will, this day would just be another Wednesday. But she had met Will, they were married, and now...oh God, she'd thought this day would never come! The day, the glorious day, when she would become Queen...
Well, William would become King William, and she'd be standing by him, . But that really didn't matter- it was better that way. She'd never really been that good at public speaking. Watching the wedding video brought that home- hard. It wasn't an ordinary wedding video (so far from it) and she'd been barely audible! She cringed at the thought. But she shook her head and followed Will into their room.
Will sat down at the writing desk on the left wall of the room. "The Archbishop gave me a copy of the oath and the rest of the ceremony. Would you mind running through it with me?"
Kate nodded and took the sheet. "So, the Archbishop will say, will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs? To which you reply..."
"I solemnly promise to do so," said Will, leaning back on his chair.
"Good. Then he'll say, will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments? And you reply..."
"I will."
"This is starting to feel a little familiar! Then, there's a long bit, so you'll have time to mull over your answer, which is?"
"All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God."
Kate smiled. "Good. You're ready."
Just then, a servant knocked on the door. "Your Majesties, the Archbishop asked me to tell you that the ceremony starts in half an hour. He implores his Majesty to join the Secretary in his office to be dressed, and for her Majesty to accompany me to her dressing room. After that, the Archbishop invites you both to join him at the Abbey, where he will explain the ceremony to you both."
King William took Queen Catherine's hand, and stepped out into the corridor.
Kate sat on the throne and couldn't help but wonder if all the previous Queen Consorts thought it very uncomfortable too. She shifted nervously. Then a crashing hymn burst into life and she knew the ceremony had well and truly begun.
Will waited. He'd been waiting all his life, why was he finding it hard now? The robes felt odd and heavy, and the shoes that the Archbishop had chosen were several sizes too large. He felt like an overdressed clown. He looked at the solemn-faced men around him and gulped. He heard faint music ahead and sighed, smiled and looked forward. As they entered the Abbey, Will looked at a clock in the far distance, on the south wall. When they passed the Royal Box, Will glanced and choked on his breath as he saw who was there- Harry, Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward, Philip and a picture of the Queen (held by Harry, who made unhelpful puppy eyes in an attempt to make Will laugh). He began to quiver. He was full-on shaking when he sat down in the Chair of State, facing the entrance he had just used. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply to calm himself. The Archbishop stopped in front of him. "Sirs, here I present unto you, King William V."
Will looked around. In the stands on his side were some of his friends, old nannies, his servants and other people he vaguely knew.
"Your undoubted King. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?"
After a chorus of 'Aye, sir! And we are His Majesty's humble servants from this day onward!'s, the Archbishop turned on Will, who sat up uncomfortably and very nearly made the chair squeak. The Archbishop rattled on, but Will wasn't listening. He was thinking of the scarily near future. Kate was now 9 months pregnant. She shouldn't have been there, but she was.
"I solemnly promise to do so," said William, automatically.
He thought some more about the baby. By now they knew that their suspicions were correct: they were waiting for a girl, but not for much longer now, noted Will with joy.
"I will."
How was he going to bring her up? The same way he was, he thought with steely resolve. She would get the best upbringing of any Royal baby- no, any baby at all. He already loved her enormously. He wasn't scared. No, of course he wasn't. Queen Diana was going to do just fine.
"All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God."
Will relaxed and stood up to go to the throne.
That was when Kate screamed.