Here for the first time, in its entirety, is the official transcript of the engagement interview between His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince Edward of Jutland and Miss Isabella Marie Swan.
The couple sits on a deep red couch in front of the assembled press corps from the world.
"Thank you for being here today. This is one of the happiest days of my life and I would like nothing more than to answer any questions you may have for me in Juts. I've read I speak it fluently and I'm sorry, that's not true. I'll try my best and might have to answer some questions in English to get my point across better. Thank you." Bella said this all in Juts. It was the first time she had spoken to the press in Juts and even though she slipped over some words, everyone was impressed at her ability to try.
"How are you feeling at this moment?" Reporter from Jutland
"Nervous! Happy" she responds in Juts before to switching to English "I can't put into words how I am feeling at this moment, to be honest. It's just, umm, an amazing day."
"How did you know, how did you decide she was the one?" Reporter from Jutland to Prince Edward.
"It was a natural progression. I don't think…I can't say exactly when or where it happened. But when I tried to picture, you know, a future without her, I couldn't see it. I just knew, I guess, that she was the one." Edward.
The same question is asked to Bella, who answers in English. " I agree that is was a natural progression. We just sort of fell into each other more deeply, every day, you know? We had similar likes and our conversations just really never ended. Um, I don't think it's fair to pinpoint the exact moment, because, you know, there are many moments that can lead you to this point."
"What do you see your role being, as future Crown Princess and eventually Queen?" Reporter from Sweden.
"I hope to grow a role that best displays, um, my qualities for the role. It something I have to give, um, it's something I will have to develop over time with the help of his highness and the king and the queen. I umm, I think, I can't even begin to think about the role of the Queen, that is so far in the future, you know, I just want, um, I just want to see where my role as Crown Princess leads." Bella answers in Juts.
"How do you feel about having to relinquish your rights to be an American?" Reporter from New York.
"Obviously, um, my new role requires it. I…America will always be part of me. But my new role and my life are here, to serve the people of Jutland as best I can." Bella in English.
"How about children? They are planned, yes?" Reporter.
"I wouldn't say planned, but they are there, in the future." Bella laughs, telling us in English.
"Children definitely, how many, that's unknown. But yes, they are there for us." Edward.
"Can you tell us anything about the prince proposing to you? Was it romantic?" Reporter.
"I think we want to keep that between us, you know, umm, keep that moment private. But yes, it was very romantic. Thank you." Bella in English.
"Will you still continue your charity work?" Reporter
"Oh yes! It's very important to me. To be able to give help wherever and whenever it is needed. I…um, obviously, The Foundation will continue to work. We have a global commitment, you know, to serve others less fortunate. That work will always continue." Bella in Juts.
"Is today a bit like the day you won the lottery?" Reporter from Washington.
"I don't know why I even bought a ticket. I had never done so before. But I just felt, almost as if someone had leaned in and whispered to me to buy it. I just felt this incredible surge of luck. So I bought it and tucked it away into my purse. I was late for class and finals were approaching. I didn't give the ticket much thought until I woke up the next morning and my roommate was going on about the Lottery winner having bought the winning ticket at the local gas station. My first thought, a bit cloudy upon being woken, was that this was fantastic! A local person had one the lottery. It wasn't until later that afternoon when I remembered I had purchased a ticket and that's when I checked the numbers. I can't even recollect what my first thoughts were. I mean, how could anyone upon learning they were 750 million dollars richer? It was all very surreal. And to this day, it still feels like it happened to someone else or that it happened in some alternative world."
"But today is a different feeling altogether. It's still very surreal, but trust me, I am feeling it!" Bella in English.
"What are His Royal Highnesses best qualities, the ones you fell in love with?" Reporter from Jutland.
"I, um, when I um, first met his highness, I didn't know who he was. But his sense of humor that first night, you know, it was similar to mine and we began to talk. And we haven't really stopped. He is um, he is a very kind hearted person. He is honorable. Everyone, um, I've seen that people, uh, everyone near him sees this remarkable person. It's hard for me to sum it up, and again, um, it's not a …nothing I could say would be fair to the person he is. You can't put him, it's not fair to describe Edward in a few sentences. It doesn't do him as a person justice." Bella in English.
"Your highness? The same question, I guess." Reporter from Jutland.
"Like Bella, we have similar senses of humor. But the person she is, I can't umm, she took on this huge mission of bettering the world. That sort of person, I mean, that sort of person deserves only the highest compliments. The parts of her that make her special to me, um, well, she is amazing. She is perfection in my eyes. I really…I really can't, it's um, like Bella said, it's not fair to make statements about a whole person and try to surmise them in a few sentences. She's um, wonderful and I'm very lucky." Edward.
"Tell us about that first night you both met. We've only heard bits and pieces of it and would love to hear the whole story." Reporter from Spain.
Bella and Edward laugh. "It was at a bar in Sydney, Australia." Edward
"I was asked to go. I had wanted to put it off, I had planned to look over proposals that night. But my friends were adamant I go, to have some fun. So I did. I had no idea that the Jutland team would be there, or did I know that royals would be there. I think there were 2 or 3 Crown Princes at that bar that night. At the time, I didn't know that. I only went to get away from my paperwork. It was about half an hour later of being there that one of my friends rushed up to me and announced that a large group of royals were there." Bella in English.
"I found myself at this table, surrounded by people I didn't know. Loud talking, music playing. I leaned over to the person next to me and said "You know, I've heard there is supposed to be a group of royals here." And the person replied back to me, "Really?" I remember saying to that person, "I'm an American, royalty doesn't impress me. Give me a person who dedicates their lives to helping others, that impresses me." From that point on, we kept up a lively conversation. He introduced himself simply as Edward. It was only later, when we were leaving and we were exchanging numbers did I learn he was a prince." Bella in English.
The assembled press laugh at this story.
"How are you coming along with the language, Miss Swan?" Reporter from Washington
"Up until late 2002, Edward and I only communicated in English. It was the language we began with and all of our correspondences had been in English. I had never studied another language, so it was all very new to me. I'm, umm, I'm studying hard, I want, I want, you know, to make my new country proud of me, but I hope they understand, it's a very hard language to learn and I hope, umm, I hope they bear with me and the time it may take for me to become fluent and to, you know, forgive any mistakes I might make along the way." Bella in English.
"She's doing wonderfully with the new language. We practice a lot together now." Edward.
"So, you must have passed quite a few tests to be sitting where you are now, Miss Swan. Can you tell us about some of those tests?" Reporter.
"I can't recall any tests. But I guess there must have been a few along the way." Bella in Juts.
The royal press secretary ends the interview with this question.
After the interview, Bella and Edward were led off to a short photo op. Bella showed off her engagement ring. A simple 2 carat princess cut diamond, surrounded on one side by a smaller blue sapphire and on the other side, a matching red ruby, to symbolize the Jutland standard. Smiles were produced for the cameras, and after a short time, the couple was led away to the privacy of the State dining room, for a lunch with the king and queen, selected members of the Council and Bella's parents. Later that evening, the king and queen held an engagement banquet for Bella and Edward. Bella wowed everyone with her sapphire blue one shoulder, gathered Roman Toga style evening gown cinched tightly at the waist. Her hair swept up and sporting a pair of diamond and gold earrings, an engagement gift from King Carlisle and a diamond bracelet, a gift from the Queen, Bella looked every inch the princess. She walked with the poise and grace befitting a royal.
"It was her first official outing and she knocked it out of the ball park, Up until that point, most glimpses of her had been in casual clothes, but the night of their engagement, she looked like a princess." Palace advisor.
Being engaged to the prince gave Bella credibility to finally attend royal functions. She showed up with Edward at many such events. She was becoming acquainted with the royal life and to her surprise, she was finding her stride.
Everything was leading up to one day. The Royal Wedding Day. All of Jutland was eagerly anticipating the wedding and their new princess. June 12th, 2004 couldn't get there soon enough.