Back in Anglesey
This chapter is set about a year after the wedding. Will and Kate are living in Anglesey, and everything is going well...
Will stirred the tea absently. Like every day, he was thinking far more about his wife than anything else. "She's beautiful..." he murmured.
He came back in to the sitting room. They were listening to the radio. Will sat down as the anchor announced: "And now for PM with Eddie Mair." Kate lay her head on Will's lap.
Perfect, he thought.
Half an hour later, the phone rang. "Hello?" said Will sleepily.
"Wombat. It's Gingerman."
"Oh, hey. What's up?"
There was a silence. "Can't tell you on the phone, but it's exactly the worst-case scenario. It's happened. Come down to the Palace. We're all on our way."
He hung up. Will looked down at Kate, who was now awake. "We both know what's happened. I've got to go, I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry. I'll stay here."
The car turned the corner onto guard's box. The chauffeur waved some ID in his direction and flew through the barrier. They stopped outside the small servant's entrance, where Anne waited. "William. It's happening."
Will caught his breath, "Is she holding on?" he said, his voice cracking.
Anne nodded. The bags under her eyes were huge and she was very pale.
Will followed Harry into the Queen's room. She was lying on the bed, in her favourite dress. Her eyes were fluttering and her breathing rapid. A grave-looking doctor stood by the bed. "Fever, sir," he said to a weeping Philip, "No way she'll survive."
The Queen breathed heavily and gasped, "Bring me William."
Will stepped forward. "Your Majesty."
"Shut up, William. I have just to say..."she coughed, "to say...name her Diana..." she coughed once. Then she took Philip's hand, smiled, and closed her eyes, for the very last time.
Everyone in the room (Harry, Will, Philip, Anne, Andrew and Edward) turned to Charles. Philip was the first to say it. "Long live the King."
Charles shook his head and turned to Will, who was sitting on a sofa, biting his nails. "The Queen is dead," said Charles, "Long live King William."
"Dad?" croaked William, "No...I..." Then he fainted.
William woke up in a small room that contained only a bed. "Hmmm?" he groaned. There was a very small handbell by his bed. He shrugged and rung it. A few minutes later, there was a quiet knock on the door. "Come in," he said.
A butler entered. "Your Highness?"
"Hello...could you...get my...father...I need to talk to him."
Charles sat down on the end of the bed. "Hello, your majesty."
"Dad...I want to say...I mean...that is...just...thank you."
"I understand. You don't have to say anything."
Will sat up, and there was a silence. Then Will got out of the bed. "Dad, I need to make a speech. What time is it?"
Charles checked his watch. "Half seven."
Will sat down in the small room. The attendant handed him the speech. "There you go, sir. The light will flash twice and then go solid. I'll just be out here."
Five seconds passed then:
"Good evening, Britain. It is with great regret that I confirm to you that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, my grandmother, has died, of cardiac arrest and fever. My father, the Prince of Wales, was first in line to the throne, and automatically ascended. However, he immediately abdicated, saying later to me that 'you are the most fortuitous of us all'. I am very honoured that my father has entrusted me with the greatest of tasks for the British public, and I hope that I repay my father's confidence in my duty and service to you all. I know that with the help of my wife, Catherine, and the great faith and love we have had from this country so far, we can try to rule as well as my grandmother did. She was the finest example of a dutiful generation, and her dignity and composure in times of great stress and unrest was an example to us all, a model we can hope to aspire to. My grandmother once told me that if she had a duty to perform, even if she found it hard to do or a great personal challenge, she would approach it the same as taking a bath. Nothing made my grandmother's patience run out, she never intended to anger someone and if she did she saw it as a deep personal failing for which she had full responsibility. It is my greatest hope that at this, perhaps the most trying of hours not just for Britain, but for the world, I can represent a courageous Britain half as well as my grandmother. I, King William V, bid you all goodnight, God bless and health and happiness, wherever you may be."
He rose and left to the national anthem.
Outside the Palace, he sat down on a bench. "Oh God," he thought, realising the enormity of what his father had done. Of what he was.
In his pocket, his phone buzzed. A text message from Kate read, 'Heard your speech. Well done, honey! Come home, now, though. Big news Kate xxxx'. He sighed and went to back in to ask for a chauffeur.
Kate was waiting outside the house. By the time he arrived it was 11, and the sun had disappeared behind the sea. Will thanked the chauffeur and ran up to meet her. "Kate! Oh, God. Queen Catherine. Oh, God. God."
"Shh," said Kate soothingly and held his hand, "It's OK. I know, I'm Queen now. But that's OK. Let's go for a walk, on the beach."
They crossed the road to the seafront. It was littered with pebbles, and glowed blue from the evening light. The pier stretched out into the water to their right, and high cliffs rose from the smooth sand on their left. The sea didn't so much go out, but came in, gentle waves just touching the sand, before receding...
"It's beautiful," said Will, and squeezed Kate's arm, "So what's the news?"
Kate took a deep breath. "You know how I missed a month?"
Will had no recollection, but nodded anyway.
"Well, I took a pregnancy test."
"Oh, Kate!" began Will.
"It's what we've been dreaming of, Will! A family! Children!"
Will tenderly touched her stomach. "Diana," he breathed, "That's her name. And don't tell me we don't know the sex. She's a girl. Our Diana."
"It fits."
Will looked to the sky and said a silent thank you to the Queen. He noticed a new star in the sky. "Seems odd to be so happy when I'm meant to be in mourning."
Kate looked up to the stars too and murmured "She wouldn't mind, I don't think."