Josephine
Waking up on Christmas Morning in my childhood bed next to my husband and father of my twins, is not something I could have imagined a year ago. Last year on this day I woke up next to Edward in Bath, who turned into a psychopath that's trying to ruin my life.
This year... this year, I woke up with a sense of bliss and gratitude that I've never felt before. It's my favourite time of the year with my favourite person in the world. There's nothing better than this... besides the little fact that I'm growing my two other favourite persons. I'm 13 weeks and five days along today. Still no bump, just wider hips, bigger boobs and this constant rollercoaster ride with morning sickness.
But I'm ready to tell my parents. I'm ready to talk about it.
I'm ready to be a Mum.
"Merry Christmas, Tesoro."
I turn around at the sound of my husband's voice and look at him. The way his eyes sparkle in this sea foam green takes my breath away every time. "Merry Christmas, my Darling." I whisper back before kissing him.
"How's the morning sickness?"
"Not so bad at the moment." I answer. Unlike last night. After all the dancing, singing and eating I vomited the whole Christmas dinner into the loo. It wasn't a great way to end Christmas Eve but I guess I have to accept the fact that sometimes morning sickness lasts the whole pregnancy. Rory, Della, Ana and Char were lucky. I am a little less lucky. But I guess it's worth it because by the end of it we'll be holding our babies.
At least that's what I tell myself while I vomit out every food that I've eaten. There have been days when I don't vomit but this nausea is always there. Sometimes it's just easier to ignore than other times. Like this morning, when the morning sickness is so little that I can easily make out with my husband.
"Good because I have something for you. I wanted to give it you last night but then... then you started vomiting and I figured it wasn't the right timing." My husband says as he turns around and opens the drawer of my white wooden nightstand. He pulls out a royal blue velvet ring box. "I know, you guys don't do gifts on Christmas but I saw this when I went shopping for your engagement ring with your Mum." He says before opening the box.
I stare at a diamond ring set in platinum. 57 flawless round brilliant diamonds are arranged in the shape of a star but I recognise the ring right away. It's the Cluster Lotus Ring by Harry Winston. The sparkling Lotus Cluster Diamond Ring in this stunning collection features a round brilliant diamond centre stone meticulously framed by smaller diamonds, using the House's signature "clustering" technique. The iconic technique creates a three dimensional jewel that shines from every possible angle and brings a fresh floral perspective to the iconic aesthetic the House is best known for. A famous piece that's adored by many people around the world. But only a handful actually own this masterpiece.
Because it's worth 15 million pounds.
"Oliver," I breathe out, totally shocked at what he gifted me. This man, who came from nothing, bought me this ring? For me?!
"It reminded me of Northern Lights." Oliver tells me as I get the ring out of the box.
"It's so stunning!" I breathe out. I've always admired the ring but never bought it. Something always held me back. Maybe it was God's way of telling me to wait until my husband will buy it for me.
"I know it's not like me to spend so much money on such a little thing but I saw it and I couldn't not buy it. It was too perfect. It fits to our history and it fits to our future. You don't have to wear it now. Maybe on special occasions or future state banquets or something."
"I love it. I always admired the ring but never bought it."
"Really?"
I nod before putting the ring back into the box. Having breakfast with such a ring on is a little much. The breakfast on Christmas Morning is always held in special red silk pyjamas. They're all customised and have our names stitched above the left breast pocket in white. Oliver and I got new ones this year with our titles. I can't wait to wear my pjs!
"Do you still want to tell our families the news today?" My husband asks me.
I lick my lips and brush through his beach blond hair. "Yes. I'm ready to talk about this pregnancy. I'm ready to talk about our double luck."
The smile on my husband's face brightens the darkest clouds. "Good. And do you still want to fly to Bora Bora?"
I nod, "Yes. Johna and Caio are excited for it and so is your Mama."
"But if you're not feeling well-"
"I'm fine." I interrupt my husband. "Bora Bora will be good for us. We're far away from the bombs that's going to get dropped by the King. The paparazzi and journalists will camp out at the gates of this house. They'll do anything to get some kind of reaction from my family. It's going to be mad."
"And we'll be relaxing on a beach in French Polynesia."
"Exactly. Far away from the stress."
"Far away from Rothschild."
That too.
Oliver
I follow my wife down the hallway on the first floor. She looks fabulous in her apple red silk pyjamas. I got gifted a pair as well. My title HRH Duke of Clarence is embroidered in white above the left breast pocket. The pyjamas have red silk covered buttons and feel so luxurious. When we entered Josephine's room last night, we found the pyjamas laying on the bed. For a second I wondered if Rothschild had gotten one as well but later, after she was done vomiting, my wife explained to me that they hadn't spend Christmas here last year. She was with him in Bath last year. It must've broken her parents' hearts. Especially since I saw how much they all love Christmas. They love spending it with the whole family. It gets crazy mad, but there's always something to do and laugh about. I loved every second of it and I know Josephine did as well. Spending Christmas Eve without her parents last year must've broken her heart as well. It's just another sign that they weren't meant to be.
We pass several black and white framed photos. Next to each bedroom door hangs a photo of whom the bedroom belongs to. The only bedroom that doesn't have a framed photo is the master bedroom, which is at the end of the hallway.
Josephine's photo got updated. It's now a photo of us standing on Sapphire. It was taken by Troy when we went sailing with the whole family on our honeymoon. We look happy. It's a lovely photo.
Suddenly the door of Rory's bedroom opens. Next to the white wooden door is a photo of Rory, George and their three daughters. They're all grinning into the camera. It was taken at the lake in their backyard at Frogmore House. Troy is such a talented photographer.
George and Rory step out in their red pyjamas. Rory shares the same eye shape, lips and nose as my wife. They have the same heart shaped birthmark underneath their left eyelashes but Rory doesn't have Josephine's star shaped birthday that's at her right temple. Rory's curls are definitely more defined than Josephine's as well. The future King's blonde hair is messy and his eyes look a little tired. Understandably as it's six in the morning. But I've never seen him so laid back.
"Hi!" I greet them.
"Sh! The girls are still asleep." Rory hisses at me. "And Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you as well." I say back.
"You're in red pyjamas!" George grins at me. "Do you know how long I waited for another brother-in-law in red?"
I chuckle, "I feel honoured to be wearing this."
"Are you guys done? I'm starving here!" Josephine complains. She's standing at the white marbled staircase that leads to the kitchen.
We all chuckle before walking over to her. I walk behind Rory and George.
"You know, for thirteen weeks you don't really look that pregnant." George points out.
"That's because she's not carrying triplets. I only had a bump because I was carrying three instead of one. Just remember Ana's pregnancy. She didn't show until late in the fifth month. Jo will be the same." Rory says to her husband. "Consider yourself lucky. You can wear your clothes longer than me."
"I guess I am." Josephine says back and sticks out her tongue. "And now come on, I want Mummy's blueberry waffles." With that she hops down the steps.
"You were great yesterday." Rory compliments me.
I blush, "I can't believe you guys convinced me to dance and sing with you." The Christmas concert lasted two full hours. Every combination within the family did something. Cal and Gideon performed magic tricks. Eli played something on the violin. Kelsi and Ryan performed a song with the piano, just like Troy and Gabriella as well as Lucas and Miley. Liam told jokes - both in English and Portuguese. Della and Wlad's daughters Carry and Bella played a song on the piano that they wrote themselves. Ana and Sasha pantomimed famous movies that we had to guess. Della and Wlad sang famous Disney songs, my favourite was definitely Beauty and the Beast. Char and Nate played the Harry Potter theme song on wine and champagne glasses that were filled with water. Catherine and William performed a song by Sonny and Cher. And Josephine and me performed a salsa. My Mama and brothers got to watch and enjoy the show but next year they have to perform something as well. My Mama gets to do something with Gabriella as the 'mother-in-laws'. Needless to say that Caio and Johna already started making plans for their performance. I think last night really inspired them. It wasn't embarrassing at all. In fact, we had so much fun!
It was a great evening that ended in the Bolton's very own cinema. We watched old Christmas movies in Portuguese and in English with Portuguese subtitles. We had hot chocolates, warm milk with honey, tea or eggnog with Christmas biscuits and ginger bread. It was such a great way to end the evening. I was intimidated by the luxury around me at first but when I saw the love in the family all my fears vanished. Yes, this is a posh family but they also love each other just as much as we love each other in my family. Rich or poor, the love is the same.
Eventually, Josephine fell asleep in my arms while I watched Home Alone with the rest of the still awake family members. But one by one, they all fell asleep eventually.
Perhaps waking my wife up to go to bed caused her morning sickness to spike into another high. Maybe once she's asleep, she should stay asleep. I should have carried her to the bedroom.
I won't make the same mistake again.
"It's a family tradition and you're now part of it." George reminds me with a bright smile on his lips. "That comes with privileges but also with duty."
"There's more duty than the Christmas concert?" I ask him.
"Jo, have you told your man nothing?!" George complains as we walk down the white marbled staircase.
The smell of cooking and baking food fills my nostrils as I follow her downstairs. The island in the white marbled country styled kitchen is covered with bowls filled with different fruits, spreads, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs and everything else you can imagine. Gabriella and Troy turned the kitchen into a buffet!
"Oh, wow!" I breathe out. This looks like it's straight out of a five star hotel!
"Merry Christmas!" Gabriella greets me with a bright smile on her lips. She must've been in this kitchen for hours! Troy and Gabriella are also in apple red pyjamas. While Troy's standing at the stove, Gabriella's checking on one of the two ovens that are on.
"Merry Christmas!" I greet my in-laws back.
"Grab a plate and fill it with whatever you want." Troy says to me. "I'm making shakshuka."
"What's that?"
"Eggs on a tomato sauce with a fantastic spice combination. Very delicious. I first came across it in Israel." Troy explains to me. "We also have naan bread and hummus. The Israeli have a savoury breakfast most of the time. They eat wraps and dips. Sometimes even salads."
"I'll have a portion." George says before picking up a plate from the left countertops. Rory starts making coffee with the coffee machine.
"Oliver can make you a latte art." My wife says to her sister.
"Really?" Rory asks me. "Are you good?"
I shrug, "Luigi taught me some tricks."
"He's amazing. He made a cat once for me. Oh and a horse. He's really good." Josephine explains while filling her plate with all sorts of fruits and the blueberry waffles that are stacked.
"I won't be able to make you a hummingbird, though."
"Yeah but maybe a leaf or a heart." Rory suggests.
"He can do better than that." Josephine insists as she bites into a sliced gherkin.
"A dog?" Rory asks me.
I nod, "Sure. Foam up the milk and let me show you the rest."
"Shakshuka is done!" Troy announces.
George hands me a plate, "Trust me, you want to try this."
"Okay, then I guess I will." I say and Troy puts a portion on my plate.
"Eat it with naan and hummus." Troy tells me.
"Is the rest of the house still asleep?" I ask as I walk over to Rory. I pick up the milk can and start drawing a dog into her coffee mug.
"Yeah, we're always the same. Nate and Char are the last to wake up. Della and Wlad will join us in about half an hour. Sasha and Ana in about an hour."
"And the little ones?"
"Oh, we always allow them to sleep in. It's Christmas." Troy answers my question as Gabriella opens one of the ovens.
The smell is just amazing!
"Who wants some cinnamon buns?" She asks us.
"Oh yes, definitely!" Rory says as her eyes follow her mother's moves. Gabriella places the tray with freshly baked cinnamon buns on a free spot on the right countertops. The kitchen is huge but with all these people here it seems too small.
"I want one as well." My wife says before walking over to the freshly baked cinnamon buns.
"I still need to glaze them." Gabriella tells her daughters. "George, can you get the banana pancakes out of the oven?"
The future King nods before walking over to the oven and getting out the tray. Everything seems so normal. So everyday like. There's nothing - except the embroidery on our pyjamas - that reminds of a status. Here everyone is the same; it's one big family.
"Do you know when your Mum and brothers wake up?" Troy asks me.
"Oh they're no early birds." I tell him. "Probably around nine or ten."
"Unlike you." Gabriella smiles at me.
"Got it from my Papa. He was an early bird as well. But Caio and Johna come after Mama, so..." I shrug.
"Oliver and I are moving to Mauritius for nine weeks." My wife suddenly announces.
I turn around and look at her. She decided to drop the bombs now?
"We're going to do work with the Commonwealth Trust in Tanzania as well as Mauritius." She starts elaborating.
"W-when are you leaving?" Gabriella asks her, still a little shocked.
"Thank you." Josephine's little sister whispers to me. Rory picks up her coffee mug with the dog latte art and takes a sip while George grabs a fork and starts eating his shakshuka.
"January first. Actually, we plan to fly to Bora Bora this afternoon with Oliver's Mum and brothers. After New Year's Eve we're going to fly to Mauritius and work from there. Twice a week we're going to be in Tanzania. Our whole team will come with us while the deputies stay here in London."
"You're hiding in Mauritius when the bombs go off?" Troy asks us.
"No-"
"They're saving us." Rory interrupts me. "Charles wanted George and me to live there for a semester. It was his original punishment."
"Punishment? What did you do?" Gabriella asks her daughter.
"I managed to convince them to try to dethrone the King." Charlotte's voice suddenly fills my ears. I look into the direction and watch how she and Nate walk down in staircase in the same pyjamas as the rest of us is wearing.
"What?!" Troy asks them shocked. "Are you bloody insane?"
"It worked."
"It worked?!" I ask her confused. "You got punished. No Invictus Games. No tour. No royal engagements or patronages. How did that work?"
Nate and Charlotte reach the kitchen. "You're now part of the family." The blue blooded says.
"I'm sorry, what?! You risked George, Rory, Nate and your life for us?!" Josephine hisses at her.
"They knew what they were getting into. As soon as the positions of the President and Vice President of The Commonwealth Trust were free, we all knew you were the best for the jobs. Even Mum and Dad agreed with us. We disguised it by wanting to dethrone the King. He bought it. He will never know it was my plan to get you guys into the firm."
Bloody hell! Charlotte's a bloody genius!
"My wife's a mastermind, huh?" Nate says with a grin on his lips.
"No! Your wife is bloody nuts!" Josephine hisses at her brother. "You risked everything for Oliver and me! You risked your title, your patronages, your home, the life of your children-"
"Because I love you and I know you. Being head of the Bolton Foundation wouldn't have been enough." Char looks at Troy and Gabriella. "No offence."
"None taken." Troy says while shaking his head. "I share your opinion."
"What?!" Josephine asks him shocked.
"She's got a point. You always had big ambitions. And you always had a big philanthropic heart. The Commonwealth Trust is the best position for you and Oliver. You're going to change the way they have worked together. You will tackle problems in a different way than before. You guys are the fresh breath of air that the Royals need." Troy explains. "Does it matter how you got the positions and titles? You've got them now and from what you just told us, you guys are going to start with Tanzania and Mauritius."
He does have a point.
"See? Even Troy understands my motives." Charlotte says before making herself a coffee with the coffee machine. "It was kind of genius. Not even my parents thought of it. The punishment the King put on us... it's really not that bad."
"Besides, Will's going to give us our funding back when he's sitting on the throne." Nate waves with his hand.
"The King cut your funding?" Gabriella asks.
"It's not that bad. No funding, the stables at Hampton Court as a new residence, no Invictus Games, no royal patronages... oh and work with Anne from now on." Nate explains. "It could have been worse."
"And you guys?" Troy asks Rory and George.
"Jo and Oli managed to turn a semester on Mauritius into a Royal tour. It will start in Antarctica with penguins." George shrugs. "No new patronages and royal engagements. Plus Oxford Royal is going to work under a new umbrella which will be called the Royal Foundations. Mum and Dad's foundation will be renamed into the Wales' Trust."
"So, it all worked out." Charlotte says before biting into a gherkin.
Jo shakes her head in disbelief. "You are one insane Royal."
Charlotte shrugs, "It's why you love me. Just think of all the great work you're going to be doing now."
"We just didn't think you'd be starting in Mauritius and Tanzania." Nate admits. "We're going to miss you in those nine weeks."
"They will be over sooner than you think. We can FaceTime and stuff." Josephine gulps and licks her lips. She's fighting her tears. "I just can't believe you did this for us!"
"You're the sister I never had. I want to see you thriving and this was the only way." Charlotte says with a shrug before embracing my wife.
"What are you planning to do in Africa?" Troy asks us.
"Build a school, a kindergarten, a hospital, a community centre... fight child brides in Tanzania, which is a tradition there." My wife explains before looking at me.
"And then in Mauritius it's all about fighting unemployment, poverty and bad education."
"Plus the high CO2 emissions. We thought about talking to the government and discuss electric vehicles." Josephine says, "But I don't know if that could end up being too political because we'd be the catalyst for a deal with Tesla." She bites on her lip. "The school buses would have a banner from Queen Elizabeth II's Commonwealth Trust. They would all say Elizabeth R on a purple background with a white crown as we would want to honour her."
"That's tricky." Gabriella says with a nod. "It's a good cause but you have to think of charging stations and financing everything... it could be a bit political. People could start branding you as being too political and advertising for the fight against climate change. You can't be activists of any sort."
"Discuss it with your team and approach the King about it when you have finale numbers." Troy suggests. "It's a great idea but it's also controversial. This could go either way."
"I think Mauritius would be a good nation to test the waters as far as electric cars goes." Josephine insists. "We'll see what's going to happen."
"You must be very excited nevertheless." Gabriella smiles at us.
"Yes. We're actually going to do that with a camera crew from BBC filming us. It's going to be part of a documentary that we want to release every year. To give the people a glimpse into the work behind the scenes."
"That's a great idea." Troy nods. "When will you come back to England?"
"March 8th. A day before the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey." I answer. I already feel nervous just thinking about this day. All eyes will be on us as it's our first official engagement with the rest of the Royal Family. With His Majesty. With Rory and George. With Char and Nate.
And we have to curtsy to all of them.
"And that will be your first official engagement?" Gabriella asks us.
"Yes. With the other royals. Our schedule for now only contains Commonwealth Day, Easter, a garden party at Buckingham on May 5th, Trooping The Colour, Ascot, Remembrance Memorial Service and Christmas Morning Walk next year." Josephine explains.
"And that schedule will be your only public engagements for the next years?"
"Yes. Probably the next two or three years while also doing work in Commonwealth Nations in between those fixed engagements." I answer Troy's question.
"You'll be busy." Troy says with a nod.
"Can we sit down in the dining room to discuss this further? I'm starving and the food is getting cold." Nate says with a full plate of food. How this man stays so slim and ripped I have no idea. He eats heaps of food without ever feeling full.
"Yes." Troy says before turning off the stove. We all grab our plates that is full of delicious food and walk into the dining room. The beautiful wooden square shaped table has been cleaned from all the Christmas food that we ate yesterday. We sit around the table and start eating. Josephine's plate is even fuller than Nate's. While Nate's full of shakshuka, hummus, feta cheese, green and black olives and bread. Josephine's full of fruits, blueberry waffles, yoghurt and black olives. George, Troy and I dig into the shakshuka. It's really good! Weirdly, Char and Rory only drink coffee in the morning.
"When are you guys leaving for the Christmas Morning Walk?"
"In an hour." George answers before taking a sip of his black coffee. "The helicopters arrive in 45 minutes."
"We'll change and get ready at Sandringham. You'll see how much work that is next year. There's a whole crew of hairdresser, makeup artists and stylists making sure we look impeccable." Rory tells my wife and me.
"I'm pregnant. With twins." Josephine suddenly announces before biting into a piece of fresh pineapple.
"You're pregnant?" Gabriella asks with a wide smile on her lips. "This is so great!"
"With twins?" Char and Rory asked shocked.
"Yeah, I figured you were pregnant. Congratulations." Troy says to us with a smirk on his lips.
"You knew?" I ask him surprised.
"Olives and blueberry waffles?" Troy eyes my wife's plate. "And last night it was chocolate with mustard."
I chuckle as I remember when my wife dipped a piece of her chocolate Father Christmas into hot mustard last night. She popped the piece into her mouth just when Troy entered the kitchen.
"You saw that?" Josephine asks surprised.
"You had a mustard beard when I walked into the kitchen and fingers full of chocolate. It wasn't hard to join the dots." Troy shrugs.
"Well, I didn't know! How far along are you?" Gabriella asks her daughter.
"13th week. I didn't want to say anything until we're out of the woods. And we're still not out of the woods but I feel comfortable talking about them." Josephine says while running her fingers through her shoulder length hair.
"That means you were pregnant when you got raped." Troy thinks out loud.
Josephine licks her lips, "Yes. But turns out they were fine."
"Did Edward know?"
I nod, "It's why he set it up."
Troy's jaw turns white as he starts clenching his teeth so hard that I fear he might break it.
"That fucking asshole!" Nate curses. "He set it up so she would miscarry?! That's it. We have to inform His Majesty about. He's going to-"
"No." Josephine interrupts her brother.
"No? What the bloody hell do you mean by no?! He's a fucking psychopath that tried to cause a miscarriage! He wanted you to loose them! He wanted you to be as fucking miserable as he is! He wants to destroy your life! If that's not reason enough-"
"I don't have proof and until I do, His Majesty will stay in the unknown." Josephine decides while looking at our family members one by one. "Are we clear on that? We won't tell him until we've got proof."
"Well, he did confirm your theory." I mumble.
Josephine gives me a dark glance that freeze the blood in my veins.
"You fucking talked to him?!" Troy explodes and we all wince from the violence in his voice.
My wife pinches the bridge of her nose. "Daddy,"
"Are you insane?! There's a reason we all kept our distance since the outfall!"
I try to grab my wife's hand to apologise but she pulls her hand away from me.
"I won't talk to him again. At least not in private."
"He's invited to the Commonwealth Service?" Troy asks us.
"Yes. And to the reception afterwards as well." George says with a shrug. I'm beginning to understand that Rothschild plays a vital role of the society I am now a part of. It's going to be hard to kick him out of these circles. No wonder Troy called it a generational task.
"How are you going to keep up with your doctor's appointments when you're in Africa?" Gabriella asks us, changing the subject.
"Dr. Ross will fly down for the ultrasounds." Josephine answers as if it was the most normal thing in the world to have your gynaecologist flown in for an appointment.
"How are you doing, Sweetie?" Gabriella asks her daughter.
"The morning sickness comes and goes." My wife shrugs. "But other than that I'm okay."
"You still have morning sickness?" Charlotte asks her. "That's rather unfortunate."
"I guess I'm not as lucky as you were."
"When's the due date?"
"June the 19th."
"Two summer babies! Do you know the sex yet?"
"No and I don't want to find out." My wife insists.
"I do. And I will." I disagree with her.
"I would want to know as well." Gabriella tells me.
"Oh yes, me too! So I can throw you a baby shower!" Charlotte grins from ear to ear.
"Please don't! No baby shower. Nothing... nothing until they are born, okay?" My wife asks before licking her lips. She's still scared that something's going to go wrong.
I grab her hand and squeeze it softly to calm her down.
I know first time Mum's are extra superstitious and afraid of something going wrong - at least that's what google told me. And my wife is extra careful and frankly scared that something can go wrong. Her excitement is not overweighing her fear - unlike mine. But she'll get there. With every ultrasound appointment she's going to grow confidence in knowing those two babies will be alright.
"Have you start looking for names yet?" Rory asks us.
"We don't know what we're having so we won't start choosing names." My wife hisses at her sister.
"When are you going to announce it?" Troy asks us.
"Depending on how I will look on March the 9th, either a day after that Commonwealth Day Service or much later. I don't want to make a big business about it."
"People will notice that bump. Especially by March." Charlotte insists.
"We'll see. For now our plans are to fly to Bora Bora this afternoon. Spend New Year's Eve there and then start work on Mauritius and in Tanzania."
"Have you thought about a wardrobe yet?" Rory asks Josephine.
"No?"
"Well you should. You might not be welcomed like George and me would, you know with a big welcoming committee and festivities, but I suggest you wear the colours of the national flags as much as possible and especially when the camera crew is filming. It shows your respect to the nation and your gratitude."
"Does that apply to me as well?" I ask Rory.
"Yes. A blue, green or red shirt for example. Or bracelets in the national colours. That sort of things." George tells me. "It's considered very bad manners if you don't wear anything in the nation's colours."
The things you have to think about now that we're becoming royals is absurd to me. But they also make sense once you get a proper explanation.
"You don't want to give the press any bread crumbles. They're going to eat you alive anyway but you can always try to keep the damage at a minimum." Rory tells us.
Josephine nods, "Okay, good. We'll talk to our team about it."
Josephine
I take a sip of my camomile tea as my younger sister, older brother and their spouses get ready to leave for the famous Christmas Morning Walk at Sandringham. The kids are bundled up in their car seats although they're flying in a helicopter. The five girls are so used by it that they aren't even bothered by the feeling in the ears shortly after takeoff.
Next year we're going to join them on the helicopter ride.
"What's up with the noise here?!" Caio asks before yawning as he walks down one of the curved white marbled staircases in the foyer. Johan's behind him, wearing the same apple red pjs as the rest of the family. He stops as he sees the helicopter on the front yard. "Woah, is that a helicopter?" He asks with wide eyes as he spots the helicopter from the floor to ceiling windows.
"Am I still dreaming?" Caio asks shocked.
I chuckle, "Is your Mum already awake?"
Caio scratches his head. "No, I don't think so."
"We slept with Cal and Gideon." Johna explains with a shrug. "In those really cool boats!"
"Boats?" My husband asks confused.
My Mum chuckles, "My midlife crises. I redesigned their bedroom and put in beds in a boat form."
"We have to go." Rory says before hugging every family member that's already awake. Which aren't a lot but that's okay.
"How long have you guys been awake?" Johna asks as Rory embraces him.
"Far too long if you ask me." Caio mumbles as he hugs my little sister. "Where are you going?"
"We're flying to Sandringham for the Christmas Morning Walk."
Johna frowns at George's answer. "Where?"
"You'll see us again online in a little less than two hours." Charlotte tells him with a wink.
"Will you be back before we fly to Bora Bora?" Johna asks Nate.
"No, sadly not."
"We won't see each other again this year, then?" Johna asks him with a sad look in his eyes.
"I'm afraid so, buddy." Nate says before embracing him. "But we'll see each other more often next year. Your brother and my sister will be living next door to Char and me, so whenever you guys come over to dinner at Oli's place we'll be right next door."
"And you'd come over." Johna says. He has already given his heart to my older brother.
"Have you seen how good they cook? Of course I'm coming over, whether they like it or not!" Nate says as George and Rory walk out of the house.
"Nate, we have to get going." Char urges him. "You don't want to upset His Majesty."
"Right, duty's calling. I wish you a great start into the new year. I hear Bora Bora is pretty epic around this time." Nate winks before rushing over to his wife.
Johna and Caio follow them outside the house. I grab some coats from the wardrobe that's built into one of the staircases before following my brother-in-laws outside. I hand them some of Elias' and an old coat from Nate while I get into my duffle coat. The whole front yard is covered in snow. It makes the red royal helicopter look even better.
We watch how they royals climb in and the doors close. A few seconds later the rotators start and the helicopter takes off.
"This is so cool!" Johna says with a grin.
"Freezing cold, but very cool." Caio agrees with his little brother as we watch the helicopter flying away.
"Maybe we can go on a helicopter flight on Bora Bora." I suggest.
"That would be awesome!" Johna says with a wide smile. Seeing his smile is giving me so much joy.
"Let's get back inside." Caio suggests before shivering. "I'm not made for this coldness."
"You seemed to have fun yesterday." I mock him.
"That was because we were moving." Caio shrugs before we all walk inside again.
Maria's standing in the foyer, in deep talks with Oliver. They look so lovely in their apple red pjs. Waking up today must've been an unreal experience for her. Last year she spent Christmas Morning in Rocinha. This year she woke up in a place that nurtured future royals. The rest of the family is back in the kitchen for a second breakfast with everyone that's not an early bird.
"Feliz Natal!" I greet her with a smile on my lips as I reach them.
Maria embraces me, "Merry Christmas to you as well!"
"Your English is getting better and better." I complement her as Johna gestures me to take off my coat.
She blushes. "Thank you."
"That's because she's been studying vocabulary like a maniac!" Caio tells me as he gets out of his coat. Johna hangs his and his brother's coat back into the wardrobe underneath the staircase.
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!" Johna agrees with his brother.
"I'm doing everything I can to integrate into our new home country."
That's so nice to hear. "Do you want to stay in England?"
Maria waves with her hands, "I'm here with my new family. I won't abandon them."
"I just thought you'd want to move to Portugal because of the language barrier but after hearing this-"
"There's no way I will live that far away from my Oli ever again. Being separated by an ocean was the hardest thing we've ever done. Besides, I want to help you guys with my future grandchildren! Whenever that's going to happen."
I look at Oliver and nod at him. I feel like he should have the honour to tell his Mum.
"What?" Maria asks us.
"Well, grandchildren might come a lot sooner than you think, Mama." Oliver says to her.
"Wait, what? You're not pregnant, are you?" Maria asks me with shock in her eyes.
I nod, "I am. With twins. They should arrive in mid June."
"Oh my God! I'm going to be a grandma!" She says before hugging me again. She's holding on to me so tightly that I can feel her heart beating against my own. "Is that why you didn't come to dinner the other day?"
I nod, "I was not feeling well." I decide to not give Rothschild the power to ruin this moment. He has caused enough trouble for two lifetimes. He won't cause any more.
Maria lets go of me. "Of course you weren't. I suffered with morning sickness my whole pregnancies. With all three boys."
I eye Oliver, "So that's why I'm still battling with it although I'm in the 13th week. It's your fault, not mine."
"It's your fault we're getting twins so I'd say we're even." My husband winks at me.
"Do you know if it's girls or boys yet?" Caio asks us.
"No, not yet."
"But I'll let you know when I do because Josephine doesn't want to find out." Oliver promises his brothers.
"Well, I think boys would be cool." Caio tells us.
"Nah, I want girls. We're too many boys already. We need a change. Mama needs someone to dress in skirts and do braids with!" Johna disagrees.
"You're just saying that because you have a crush on Carry!" Caio hisses back at his little brother.
"No, I do not! Stop saying that or she might believe that! She's our cousin-in-law!"
"Whatever. You guys got along very well last night."
"She's-"
"Stop it!" Maria interrupts their arguing sons. "It's Christmas. No arguing on Christmas."
Suddenly footsteps start filling my ears and I turn around to see my father approaching us. "We're waiting for you to have breakfast."
"Oh, we're definitely not missing that!" Johna and Caio rush over to them.
"And after that I thought I'd teach you how to drive a Ferrari. What do you think?" Daddy asks Caio.
"What?" Caio asks him shocked.
"Isn't he a little too young for that?" Maria asks my Dad.
"He's sixteen. Jo was fifteen when she got her driver's license. It's time to teach him how to drive a car." Daddy answers before looking at Oliver. "Sasha agreed to give you some driving lessons as well. Since you know, Jo's not the calmest driver."
I smirk. I tend to curse a lot when I'm sitting behind the wheel. I'm also quite inpatient so it's not the best idea for me to be giving driving lessons.
Oliver nods, "Okay."
"But he's starting in a Range Rover. Those are easier to drive." Troy says with a wink. "But the Ferrari is definitely more fun."
"How are you, Sweetie?" My Mum asks me as we watch Caio and Oliver have their first moments behind a wheel. We're watching them from my Daddy's study because it's too cold to be standing outside for so long. The rest of our family is working on a 100.000 puzzle pieces that Daddy ordered. It's a monochrome photo of our family but we don't know who's on it or where it was taken.
"You already asked me that, Mum." I point out and roll my eyes.
"But you didn't answer. I want your honest answer, not the polished version you served earlier at the breakfast table."
I tear my gaze off of the silver Range Rover that's still standing in our driveway and look at my Mum. "I don't know what you want to hear from me. You know my real answer. I never wanted the two Ms. I never wanted to get married and become a mother but yet somehow with Oliver I am. And I'm not afraid of it. I didn't want to get pregnant on our wedding night but I did. And then when I found out, I freaked out and put the blame on Oliver. I'm not... I'm not mother material. I don't have it in my blood like Rory and Ana. I've always seen myself as being most like Della." I lick my lips, "And then when Dr. Ross told us I'm carrying twins my rage went through the roof. I yelled at her and I punished Oliver with radio silence. I focused on Tanzania and Mauritius instead of dealing with the real issue. I'm afraid of screwing them up but I know they're going to be fine because they've got Oliver as a Dad and God knows he's the most patient and calmest person ever." I run my fingers through my hair. "I nearly miscarried a few days ago. I woke up with cramps and a bed full of blood. It was so scary. I've never felt more fear and panic than in that very moment. And that made me realise that I want them too. I want this life. With them and with Oliver. I want the bloody two Ms! Is that so crazy?!"
My Mum smiles at me, "No, not at all. You just weren't ready for it and now you are. You're amazing with kids. You are great with your nieces and brothers. You'll be fine."
"My life turned upside down when I met Oliver. And I wouldn't want it any other way. He has enriched my life with so much colour and emotions... it's like my life was black and white before we met and then he came with his rainbow."
My Mum gives me that weird look.
"What?"
"I just never thought I'd hear you talk about a man like that. Don't get me wrong I love you but..."
"But what?"
"You nearly married a man that you didn't talk about half as poetic as you do about Oliver."
"We all know by now that Rothschild was not a fit. At all." I point out the obvious. "And I know Oliver and me come from such different backgrounds, from such different worlds-"
"Sweetie, love knows no different backgrounds. It doesn't care about your bank accounts or ethnicities. Love is love."
True. Love is love. There's no better way to say it. I haven't been talking to my Mum like I used to and I miss her. I miss our lunch dinners that we had when I was still working at Bolton's Enterprises. "I think we should start having at least monthly dinners again when we come back from East Africa."
My Mum smiles, "That's a nice idea. I would love to see you guys more often."
"I meant just the two of us."
"That as well. Us weekly and Oliver and you together once a month or more often. We can come to your house with Zeus. Does that sound like a good plan?"
"The best."
Statement by His Majesty The King
As we enter this new decade, I have chosen to make some adjustments and alter how things were within The British Royal Family.
As from today, the only royals receiving money from the Sovereign Grant are my direct descendants, Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Oxford, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Prince Louis of Wales. All other royals, whether working or not, have been cut from the Sovereign Grant and will therefore receive no more funding from the taxpayer. Family members who live in residences owned by the Crown, like Windsor Castle, Bagshot Park, Hillsborough Castle, the Palace of Hollyroodhouse, Frogmore Cottage, St. James's Palace, The Royal Lodge and Kensington Palace, have to pay rent from this year onward whether or not they're funded by the Sovereign Grant. Members of the royal family living on privately owned estates, like Balmoral Castle, Gatcombe Park, Hampton Court Palace and Sandringham House, that are not publicly funded, won't have to pay rent.
After much consideration and conversations involving all royal family members, I've also chosen to make adjustments to the Royal House. The purpose of these changes is to establish which members of The Royal Family may be expected to perform official duties incumbent on the Head of State or related to the function of the Head of State.
All family members below The Duke and Duchess of Windsor's children in the line of succession will no longer use their prefix His or Her Royal Highness, but they will keep it, and are therefore free to pursue a different profession with a quieter life, if they no longer wish to be working members of the Royal Family.
This includes: The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Viscount Severn, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and The Princess Royal. Children of the royal family members named above will be removed from the royal household and will no longer have any official royal role. They will no longer perform any royal duties associated with the Head of State - nor will they be expected to. Therefore they won't benefit from the taxpayer-funded sum that goes to members of the Royal House. Their titles - styled without the HRH - will not be passed on to their future spouses or children. They will continue to be much loved members of The Royal Family. As such they will continue their work in the non-profit foundations and organisations which they have founded or in which they are involved. In addition, they will perform official duties to the extent decided by His Majesty.
The exception to this are The Duke and Duchess of Clarence, who will be styled as Their Royal Highnesses and are senior working members of the royal family in their positions as the president and vice-president of the Commonwealth Trust, although they're last in the line of succession.
More will be announced in due course.
Josephine
Bora Bora is more than just warm turquoise water, lush green mountains, palm trees, and overwater bungalows. The island's name, which means first born Tahitian, is also a snorkeler's paradise. We spent a good deal of our trip face down in the water, and saw all sorts of marine life, from tropical fish and sea turtles to stingrays and sharks. Johna, Caio and me swam with many different kinds of tropical fish, including brilliantly coloured parrotfish and unicorn fish, which I love because they always look surprised. Although the coral wasn't particularly vibrant, the fish count was very high and, thanks to the fact that the lagoon is never more than about chest deep, snorkelling was really fun because the fish were so close to your face.
I take off my snorkelling mask and stare at the beach. My husband and his mother are sunbathing on the white fine sand. While Maria is working on her tan in the French Polynesian sun, Oliver is staying under the shade of a big palm leaf. The palm trees at the beach are free of any coconuts because apparently 145 people are killed each year by a falling coconut.
But seeing my husband laying under the palm leaf still gives me a bit of anxiety.
I turn around and look at Caio and Johna who also pull their heads out of the water.
"I saw Nemo!" Johna says with a wide grin on his lips. "With lots of siblings and his parents!"
I smile at him. "I think it's time to reapply the sunscreen."
"Already?" Caio complains with a growl.
"Yes, come on. The quicker we do it, the quicker you can be back in the water." I say before we all walk out of the warm turquoise coloured water. I love Bora Bora. It reminds me a lot of French Cay. Except it's busier because this is not a private island. It's full of tourists, rich tourists that is. A holiday on Bora Bora can cost you a small fortune as it's equally as expensive as The Maldives. Yesterday we went climbing through the jungle. We climbed up the Mount Pahia and enjoyed an incredible 360 view of Bora Bora. It was a tough climb that we did with a guide since there is not a marked trail. For one and a half hours we hiked through the most stunning jungle with luscious greens and colourful tropical flowers. But it was all worth it because when we made it to the top and looked around we saw this amazing view of the island and surrounding waters. I brought my trusty Nikon and took some amazing photos of us. I particularly like the photo of Oliver with his Mum.
After that long climb Oliver and me took our bicycles to ride far away from the glamour of the resorts, to the tiny village of Vaitape, where we experienced the buzzing local life of Bora Bora. It was so pretty and interesting to engage with the locals. We had our dinner in one of the roulottes (food trucks) in the village square followed by some star gazing on the pier.
Oliver called the shuttle service to drive us back to the resort as it was too dark to bicycle back.
I walk through the white fine sand until I reach my husband and mother-in-law. Maria's in a black bikini that she definitely bought in Brazil. It shows a lot of skin but she can definitely wear it. She has a stunning body for her age. I noticed how lots of middle aged men turned their heads after her, but Maria kept her distance. Maybe one day she's going to find love that's similar to what she had with Oliver's Dad Carlos.
My husband is in blue swimming trunks. He's wearing Aviator sunglasses while reading a book about Mauritius' wildlife. "How was the snorkelling?" He asks me with a bright grin on his lips. Unlike his Mum, he is staying safe under the shadows of the palm trees. His skin has already deepened into a dark caramel colour, without needing any sun.
"Brilliant!"I grin at him as I let the snorkelling mask fall into the sand next to the lounging chair.
"We saw Nemo and his friends!" Johna says with a wide grin on his lips. His enthusiasm is addicting.
The private beach is a bit busy with other tourists that are staying at the Four Seasons Resort like us. The Four Seasons Resort is located on Point Matira in Bora Bora, which was voted 'the best island in the world' in 2012. There are lots of overwater bungalows but also beachfront villas with views of Mount Otemanu. I booked us two overwater bungalows with panoramic views of the turquoise lagoon. The resort boasts an infinity pool and a tennis court, but we didn't use it. I like watching tennis, playing it not so much. I played too much with Rory and lost every time. However, we did went kayaking with the whole family the other day. Caio got sun burned because he refused to wear a big floppy hat. Johna had no choice because Maria put her foot down. The situation gave us a taste of what it's going to be like with our two bundles of joy.
"I even spotted some turtles." Caio says before grabbing the beach bag that I packed and getting out the sunscreen.
"You need to dry yourself first." I remind him as I pick up two towels from the lounging chair. I throw one at Caio. Sunscreen was not something they used when they lived in Rio. Not only because they couldn't afford it but also because being tanned is very desirable in Brazil. Like it is in most Western countries. Unlike Asia, where fair skin is more desired than having a tan.
"I know!" Caio complains while rolling his eyes.
"Get over here! I'll put on the sunscreen." Maria directs her sons. How this woman managed to raise three boys is a mystery to me. She had almost nothing after her husband died, yet she still managed to make it through. She truly is a survivor.
Oliver chuckles, "Is that how you're going to be with our kids as well?"
Probably. I'm going to be a strict Mum that's for sure. "Sunscreen's important." I insist before kissing him quickly. "How's the reading material?"
"Interesting. But I might join you for a swim."
"How about we all go on a catamaran cruise today? Watch the last sunset of the year." I suggest as I towel dry my body.
"Do you think there's a free catamaran left? I bet everyone wants to spend this last day of the year like this."
"Where there's a will, there's a way." I say with a smile on my lips. "Oh and I asked around about the island we saw the other day when we went kayaking."
"And?"
"The private island is called Motu Tane." I ease him into my plan. If I let the bomb drop right away he is not going to take it well.
"Motu Tane?"
I nod, "It's been used to hold meetings with big companies. It has open great rooms and bungalows all over the island." Everything's fully furnished and ready to use but I decide to not tell him that.
"It's definitely a beautiful island." My husband says to me. It was filled with palm trees and looked so untouched by tourists when we kayaked around it. Motu Tane is just ten minutes away from the main island of Bora Bora. The private island encompasses approximately 10 acres of sandy beach, tropical foliage and coconut groves all set against a mountainous backdrop.
"It's for sale." I tell him.
"Okay."
"Oliver, I want to buy it."
"What? Why?"
"I want our own French Cay. Our own island we come back to and celebrate our anniversary."
"But that's what's French Cay for."
"It's a bargain."
My husband sighs, "How much?"
"35."
"35 million?!"
"As I said a real bargain."
"Josephine, we don't need our own island."
"I booked us a looking in two hours."
My husband takes off his sunglasses. "Josephine, French Cay has been your sanctuary. Why do you want to change it now?"
I lick my lips, "What if some journalist finds out about it and starts talking about it? What if one day, some tourist on those tourist boats, that constantly drive past French Cay, is going to snap a photo of us being at the beach there? It just takes a second to ruin my French Cay. Once it's out, paparazzi are going to be waiting on boats all around the island. It's going to be a nightmare."
"That's not going to happen. It didn't happen in the last 35 years. It surely won't happen now."
"I want my own heritage. I want something that's only for us. For your Mama and brothers. For our children."
"You can't just spend 35 million US dollars on a bloody island!"
"I can. We can, Oliver. It's an investment, not an impulsive buy."
"It's very much an impulsive buy. We kayaked past that island three days ago and now you want to buy it?"
"Well, first of all I want to have a closer look. And then maybe."
"No, you don't go somewhere just to have a look. You will buy this island."
"No, Darling, we will buy this island." I disagree with him before kissing him quickly. I pick up another bottle of factor 50 sunscreen from my beach bag. "Can you put sunscreen on my back?"
He nods and I hand him the bottle. He squeezes sunscreen on my shoulders but stops in his movement suddenly. "Tesoro,"
I look over my shoulder, "What?"
"I think there's a bump there." His sea foam coloured eyes are focused on my belly.
I look down and see a teeny tiny bump. It's so little that it could simply be bloating. I've developed love handles over the last week that we've been here but the bump has yet to appear. "That's no bump. It looks like bloating."
"Mama?" My husband calls his Mum. "Bloating or bump?" He asks her.
Maria stops smearing sunscreen on Johna and stares at my midsection. "Could be both."
My husband sighs before pouring sunscreen on my shoulders. "I can't wait to see a bump."
I haven't felt any movement yet so I figure it might be a few weeks until there's a proper bump. "It will appear, don't worry."
He starts smearing the sunscreen all over my shoulders and back. "The King's statement is published by the way."
Bora Bora is eleven hours before London. It's seven thirty in the morning here on Bora Bora and six thirty in the evening in London. The King wanted to publish the statement in the morning, so it has been out for a couple of hours already.
I grab my iPhone and log into the WiFi of the Four Seasons. I haven't used the WiFi in the last week. We were completely technologically free in the last seven days and it felt bloody good. I go on The Royal Family's website and see how it states back at me.
The statement of His Majesty. The King clearly decided to not drop all the bombs at once. I think he's going to say who we are tomorrow or right after midnight. I read the statement twice because it contains so much information. "It's not that bad." I decide as I show my husband my iPhone.
His eyes scan the words even quicker than me. "I didn't know he was going to cut off the funding of the other royals. I had no idea he was going to slim down the monarchy."
"It's not so surprising. It was going to happen one way or another." I say as he hands me back the iPhone. I switch the iPhone off again before throwing it into the beach bag again. A few people stroll past us and I think some even recognised me as they start whispering right away as soon as they see me.
So far, no photos have emerged online. Otherwise our team would have reached out to us here on Bora Bora. But the phone in our bungalow has been quiet.
In a few hours our new life will begin but until then I want to enjoy this warm sun and that turquoise coloured water.
"Can we go back into the water now?" Johna asks his Mum.
I look over my shoulder and stare at my brother-in-law. He's fully white from the zinc based sunscreen and there's already sand sticking to his legs. I smirk. I was the same at his age. I still am that water rat. It's why I enjoy sailing so much.
"Aren't you hungry? Perhaps we should-"
"No!" Johna interrupts his Mum before turning around and marching into the turquoise coloured water.
Maria sighs before looking at me. "I bet you're hungry."
I always am. I nod, "Let's have something to eat at the restaurant."
"I'm going to stay here and watch Caio and Johna." Oliver informs us.
I dig into my salad as we eat in one of the luxury restaurants that the Four Seasons has to offer. I've made the conscious decision to first eat my greens - and as much as possible of it - before digging into any seafood or meat. This is my third meal of the day and I know I could easily eat another three today.
"You seem to be enjoying the nice sides of pregnancy now." Maria comments while eating her chips.
I nod as I chew and gulp down my food. "The nausea is not totally gone yet but it's very manageable right now so I use the time wisely to get in as much nutrients as possible."
"I wasn't able to eat that much when I was pregnant with my boys. Oli was the hardest of out the three."
"Really?"
Maria nods, "He made me throw up the whole pregnancy right until I think a week before I gave birth to him."
"I'm praying it won't last this long with my two."
"I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you as well."
"How was it being pregnant with Oliver? I mean besides the nausea."
"I remember feeling very round and heavy at the end. I carried them all full term. Boys are usually late and that was definitely true for my three. Oliver was six days overdue. Johna two and Caio five."
"Luckily that's not something I have to worry about."
Suddenly Maria smiles at me in a way that shows me she remembered something. "Carlos was overjoyed when he felt Oliver's kicks for the first time. I can still hear his laughter that was full of incomprehension. He thought it was the coolest thing in the world."
"How did you guys settle on a name?"
"Carlos wanted to name Oliver Carlos junior but in the end we settled for Carlos as a second name and my favourite as the first."
"Why do you like the name so much?"
"Oliver means olive tree and that reminds me of Italy. Carlos and I always wanted to go to Italy and Greece together and see the olive trees first hand... but it never happened."
I'm adding Italy and Greece to my holiday list. I'll take Maria, Johna and Caio there. Along with the reason why, Oliver himself. We can make it a boat trip if we take Liberty. We could sail along the Mediterranean Sea in the summer.
They deserve to see the countries.
"We'll visit those countries together." I promise her. If I knew about her wish, I had chosen to spend New Year's Eve on an Greek island rather than the warm and sunny islands of Bora Bora. But then I remember how Oliver told me they don't like the cold. Maybe Bora Bora was the better choice after all.
The Duke and Duchess of Mystery: Who are the new royals?
His Majesty has dropped a bombshell statement, making sure that 2050 is the start of a new kind of Royal Family. With the recent scandals surrounding the royals, like the coffin fiasco of the Duchess of Oxford, the sexiest maid of honour dress in royal history worn by Josie Bolton, the sex traffic scandal caused by brother Andrew and the epic Rothschild and Bolton wedding call-off, it's not surprising that The King has chosen to rapidly change the structures within the firm.
But the biggest change seems to be the rigorous axing. His Majesty has chosen to not use money coming from the sovereign grant, aka public funding, for everyone except for the direct descendants from the King - thus, the Prince and Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Oxford, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Prince Louis of Windsor. All other royals will not only be stripped off their HRH but also have to pay rent if they're living on the grounds of palaces that are owned by the Crown, aka the public, and not privately by His Majesty.
All changes have been discussed with all members of the family, we've been told. But it's still a rather ruthless move. Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, who are royals by birth, have to stop using their HRH just like Prince Edward and his wife the Countess of Wessex. Essentially, the King did what he had to do, which is to slim down the monarchy, but the way he has done it is rather shocking.
He really entered this decade with the biggest bang there is.
However the biggest change was stated right at the end: The Duke and Duchess of Clarence. The couple, who will have a HRH title and is allowed to use it, although last in line of the succession, are completely unknown. There is no Duke and Duchess of Clarence on the royal website.
Royal experts are claiming it's the new title for Prince Louis and his girlfriend, allegedly a woman from the Philippines. However a title has always been gifted upon a marriage, so perhaps we can hear wedding bells ringing soon? That of course would mean that the Prince has popped the question to his girlfriend, who has yet to be seen.
It's all very smokes and mirrors, but we're going to keep our eyes open for you.
Is this the downfall of the House of Windsor?
It's simply an unprecedented case - no one has ever joined 'the firm' without marrying into it. Our Royal sources have confirmed that it's definitely not Prince Louis and his girlfriend that are going to be titled that way. In fact, our sources said it was someone totally new and someone that was not involved with the Royal Family prior to getting the job - and the titles.
In his statement, His Majesty made clear that the new titles, Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Clarence, come with their new jobs as the president and vice president of the Commonwealth Trust. What is clear, is that the King wants to showcase his deep connection to the commonwealth countries by appointing team Clarence as the leaders. Essentially, they have joined the royal family because the King asked them to. But the Clarences have yet to issue a statement. As their website, ClarenceRoyal. uk, is yet to launch, it is not known how their financial model looks like - although experts think they're going to be partial publicly funded via the Sovereign Grant and privately funded via the Duchy of Cornwall that's owned by the Prince of Wales. This way the Prince of Wales doesn't only fund his own children and their spouses, The Duke and Duchess of Oxford, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Prince Louis, but also the brand new Duke and Duchess of Clarence. Team Clarence could mean the downfall of the monarchy as no one in history has ever joined the royal family this way. It is not known where they're currently living - or rather hiding.
But the biggest mystery remains: Who are the Duke and Duchess of Clarence?
Oliver
I stare out at the stunning turquoise coloured lagoon in front of me as I wait for my wife to get ready. It's such a beautiful view. The sky has already started to develop those stunning pink hues. My wife calls this the magic hours. It's a time when almost every photo turns out perfectly. "Tesoro, we have to get going!"
The spacious bungalow features traditional wooden furnishings, high ceilings, and thatched roofs. I can't believe this is our island I am standing on. It's our bungalow. Our island!
Our version of French Cay called Motu Tane is just 10 minutes away from the main island of Bora Bora. It's absolutely beautiful.
I can't believe we spent 35 million just this noon. But being the owner of an island is pretty cool. Especially if it's such a tropical paradise like this one. The island was previously owned by cosmetics mogul François Nars. Motu Tane consists of traditional thatched-roof Polynesian huts or "fares", with 22 separate structures. There are 2 luxurious suites comprised of 2,500 square feet, each with a sunken lava bathtub, shower and dressing area, as well as panoramic views onto the garden, the beach and the main island. There are also 9 beach bungalows and 2 suites to accommodate up to 20 guests, a library with museum-quality Polynesian art and artifacts, a photography studio, a chef's dream kitchen and 2 staff quarters.
Needless to say, Josephine and I decided to spend our last night of this year on the beach in front of our bungalow on our own island.
"I'm coming!" My wife yells back and a moment later she comes out of the bedroom. She's wearing a white short dress that's going to reflect the sunset perfectly. Her chestnut hair is all curly from the ocean salt. It's grown past her collarbone already and there's a bright pink flower in her hair. Around her neck she's wearing the half moon pendant that's covered in diamonds. She got it on French Cay from Troy as a wedding gift and she hasn't taken it off ever since. I think this was his finale way to give his blessing. In her left hand she is holding her Nikon camera. She has spent the whole day taking photos of different spots on our island. She has completely avoided any internet access expect for the time when she read His Majesty's statement.
I admire her dedication to stay disconnected until we touch ground on Mauritius tomorrow noon. Especially when the internet is definitely going bananas.
"You look stunning." I whisper. There's no sign of a proper bump yet but I know exactly who is hiding underneath her white dress.
Our twins.
"That's the pregnancy glow." She smirks at me before grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the bungalow. Together we walk on the white sanded beach that leads to the crystal clear turquoise coloured water. My brothers and my Mama are already sitting in the white sanded beach with drinks in their hands. My Mama has a bright red flower in dark brown her. John and Caio have already built a sand castle. They improved since the days on French Cay.
Josephine picks up her camera and starts taking photos right away. Just last night, we watched the sunset in a helicopter as we flew over the island. It was just the two of us, a rare moment since we landed here on Bora Bora. And tonight, we're watching the last sunset of the year in our very own island. It's the last sunset of the year... The last sunset of my old life... The last sunset without being His Royal Highness The Duke of Clarence.
And it's a breathtaking sunset to be looking at.
Update on The Duke and Duchess of Clarence
His Majesty The King is very delighted to confer the Dukedom of Clarence to Mister Oliver Carlos Bolton and Misses Josephine Ophelia Elise Bolton. They will be styled as Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Clarence.
Their titles cohere with their new roles within the Royal Family, which are the president and vice-president of the Commonwealth Trust.
The Duke and Duchess of Clarence have been much loved and respected extended family members and are grateful for the given opportunity. Their Royal Highnesses very much look forward to their new jobs and support His Majesty this way.
To find out more please visit the Royal Family's Website or ClarenceRoyal. uk.
Statement released by The Duke and Duchess of Clarence
Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Clarence asked for the following statement to be released:
We are delighted to be joining The Royal Family in our roles as president and vice-president of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust. We feel incredibly honoured and grateful to join this incredible team that has been working relentlessly behind the scenes of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, in support of His Majesty The King.
We can't wait to engage with a diverse pool of people all over the Commonwealth, shine a light on different charities and grassroots organisations that fight current issues and offer unique solutions within the Commonwealth, help where help is needed and witness the beauty of kindness, the spirit of charity and support first hand.
During future trips across the Commonwealth, we can't wait to meet with young leaders to hear their insights and propel their vision for lasting change. We plan to visit all 54 Commonwealth nations very regularly in order to support locally and help on eye level. As stated on our website, the taxpayers' money won't fund these travels.
We are fully dedicated to our new roles, deeply committed to His Majesty The King as well as the rest of the Royal Family and can't wait to see how the future unfolds.
For more information please visit ClarenceRoyal. uk.
Oliver Josephine
It's time to abdicate, Your Majesty!
With 98 years of wisdom on his shoulders, it seems like King Charles is ready to make space for the younger generation. His son, The Prince of Wales, is more than ready to take on the royal work. His wife and him have been doing most of the King's royal duties, overseas and within the UK. But the Duke and Duchess of Oxford are also more than ready for their new roles as Prince and Princess of Wales.
Everyone is ready for the next step. Except for his Majesty himself.
With the recent events, especially the extremely controversial announcement of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Clarence, an abdication seems imminent.
Clarence House has refused to comment on the issue.
The PR Queen turns ROYAL! How Josie Bolton snatched herself (and her husband) the royal title of a Duchess - with an HRH prefix!
Looks like the plan of the Bolton-Clan has come full-circle! While Josie Bolton, the older twin sister of HRH The Duchess of Oxford, has not gotten along with the Prince and Princess of Wales' youngest son, Prince Louis, the chance of having all three Bolton triplets within the palace's walls seemed to have failed.
Until a few minutes ago! His Majesty has dropped a bombshell announcement, that's been shaking up the whole world! In that statement, he announced that in fact Josie (and her unknown husband at that time) has been given a royal title (as well as an HRH) WITHOUT marrying into the Royal Family. Royals have never done this in history! You either enter the family via marriage or you're out. In or out.
But not so Josie Bolton. While the details of the agreement remain a secret, aka the blackmail she's got on the King must be something very juicy, the title as well as the position is clear: None other than HRH The Duchess (and Duke for her husband Oliver) of Clarence! Of Clarence, as in Clarence House! Wow! That's some deal she made with the King! You may remember the tabloids' speculations last year about Princess Charlotte's new title. Duchess of Clarence was among the top three with Albany and Cambridge. No one expected Windsor. But it is now clear that Clarence has been reserved for Josie all along.
The now Duke and Duchess of Clarence will, so far, have one main job: President and Vice-President of the Commonwealth Trust! The King has given them Meghan and Harry's jobs after they famously announced their abdication and moved abroad.
The Clarences launched their Instagram account and website at the very same time - talk about timing behind the scenes - with welcome wishes from all big households such as The King himself, the Prince and Princess of Wales, The Oxfords and The Windsors.
While their Instagram followers are at 'only' 12 million as of right now, the pair is getting ready to face some serious backlash and hatred.
Josie was the head behind the Oxford brand, the head of Oxford Royal and helped out with the Windsor's IG for the last few weeks - have you noticed the subtle change in the writing, the style of the posted photos and the massive gain in followers? That wasn't magic, it was Josie's work!
It is currently unknown how the former secret weapon of the Oxfords and Windsors turned royal will be welcomed by the British folks but it might take years, possible decades even, for them to accept the King's decision.
However, Josie is known for one thing: Getting things done and making magic happen.
ClarenceRoyal. uk - the team behind the brand!
The Sun can exclusively reveal the team behind the website who designed clarenceroyal. uk - the new website of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Clarence!
It's the same team that has built the websites for the Oxfords, Oxford Royal, the Windsors, The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Prince and Princess of Wales personal website. The website creators go by the simple name of RW - for Royal Websites - but that team is working non-stop!
An insider told us that it's a well-oiled machine that's been working with the Royals exclusively for decades. The team is aiming to harmonise all royal websites, so a clear connection is visible. From the same style of fonts - cursive, curly, signatures and even handwritten calligraphy of the talented Duchess of Oxford and Duchess of Clarence that have been scanned and then used to create a unique font which mimics hand written words - to the same shade of colour - a royal blue for the Oxfords and their foundation, a sunny yellow for the Windsors, a rich purple for the Prince and Princess of Wales and their Royal Foundation, a clean white for the King and the new icy blue/grey for the Clarences - everything is in perfect harmony. The letterheads are created by the same person, the royal cyphers are in sync with the same font and the layout of the websites are only slightly different, with the younger royals choosing a bigger visual spread with more photos while the King prefers to use more words and signal colours.
The website of the Clarences has a menu that consists of an about section, a section about the Commonwealth Trust, a section about their funding, a section about patronages and a section about their home.
The most interesting parts of the website is undoubtedly the funding and their home. The Clarences made clear that while they will be receiving 1% of their income from the Sovereign Grant, 99% of their income comes from the Commonwealth Trust, which translate to 1 per year as it's explained further down on the website. The symbolic 1-earning makes it clear that both The Duke and The Duchess are not working to make millions - they're working for the people and representing the King abroad. All tours abroad will also be paid by the Clarences privately, meaning no taxpayer-money is going to go to them. From security to housing to upholding their household - all will be paid privately by the Duke and Duchess. The 1% they receive from the Sovereign Grant is said to be used to pay the income of the team that's working along The Duke and Duchess in the Commonwealth Trust.
So, if there's no income from the Crown Estate or the Sovereign Grant, why exactly has the King chosen to give them a title? It's not like they're getting any money from it. It's the other way around, they're working their asses off, probably doing non-stop travel, and they're getting nothing out of it except for a title and a place as last in the line of succession?
Where exactly is the logic in that?
The new Duke and Duchess also revealed their schedule as far as it comes to public engagements with the rest of the Royal Family. They will be present at all major events such as the Easter Service at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, one garden party at Buckingham Palace, Trooping the Colour, the first day of Ascot, Remembrance Day Services, Commonwealth Services and the famous Christmas Morning Walk.
The rest of their schedule will be filled with their work for the Commonwealth Trust. It's expected to be a schedule full of travelling to the different countries while fulfilling their royal duties.
When they're not travelling to different commonwealth countries, they will be at home in London. While home meaning a yet unknown and unseen house named Chestnut House on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, which was closed to the public in this summer. Now it's pretty clear why, it will be the base of the Duke and Duchess of Clarence. It's expected their team, aka royal household, is going to live with them on Hampton Court Palace.
The website further explained Chestnut House to be located on Chestnut Avenue, along the Long Water, which is a massive pond in the Home Park. There is no photo yet but given Josie's talent of photography, there's very likely going to be one very soon. Chestnut House is just one of the many newly built houses in the Home Park that's on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace.
We wonder who else is going to live there.
All in all, the website debunks many rumours about the Clarences and answers many questions. It seems that this move has been planned for a long time. Building a website takes time, negotiating the terms of the deal with the King takes even more time, but publishing it all just took one click.
Josephine
"8...9...10!" We start counting down. Johna and Caio already fell asleep in their bungalow but Maria, Oliver and me stayed up and chatted until midnight about everything and anything under the sun. She even shared some memories about how Carlos and her met. "Happy New Year!"
The sky starts filling with colourful and bright fireworks. The fireworks are getting lit from one of the hotels on Bora Bora. It looks beautiful and surprisingly the smell doesn't reach us here on Motu Tane. On our version of French Cay.
"Feliz ano novo!" I wish to Maria.
The Brazilian woman smiles back at me. "Happy New Year to you as well."
I look at my husband. "It will be the best year yet."
His emerald green eyes start developing this sea foam green swirl that I love so much. When he looks at me like that, there are no words needed. He has given me that look since we first met but boy, did it take me a long time to decode it.
But now I understand every single word.
I turn my head and watch the fireworks sitting between my husband and my mother-in-law. Last year has been hard. It was full of mistakes and amends. It was full of surprises with the last one being the twins that I'm carrying. But the year ahead, this new year... it will be the best yet. It's full of new challenges and opportunities to rise. It's full of new starts.
And in the summer we will meet our twins.
Eventually, the fireworks have their big finale. They end with a big bang and the numbers 2050.
"Alright, I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you guys at lunch." Maria says before getting up from the sandy beach. We all sat on a big towel.
"Sweet Dreams." I wish her as she hugs her oldest son.
She embraces me as well, "Sweet Dreams, Jo."
I watch her march through the white sand before she walks down the path that leads to her bungalow. I love this island!
Oliver lays down on his back and stares at the sky that's full of sparkling stars. I lay down next to him and grab his hand. "What are you thinking of?" I ask him after a moment of silence.
"I used to be counting Brazilian reals and centavos. But now, with you, I am counting stars. I used to sleep on the floor with a towel as a blanket but now I'm sleeping in a bed with silk sheets on my own island. My own piece of paradise in the middle of the South Pacific." My husband says before looking at me. His green eyes have the colour of calm and cleansing eucalyptus. "You saved my life, Tesoro."
"No, Oliver, you saved mine." I disagree with him before running the fingers of my free hand through his hair. "I was a woman without a heart when I met you. But you... you are my heart, Oliver. My heart started beating only when we met." I whisper into his face. "I was rich but my heart was poor. And you were poor but your heart was rich. It was full of love, altruism and courage. You showed me what love is. You taught me how to compromise and apologise. You taught me how to forgive. And together we will forget what Edward Rothschild did to us." I promise him, although I don't know when exactly we will forget what Rothschild did to us.
Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!
What do you think of Charlotte's plan to get Jo and Oliver into the Royal Family? Genius or crazy?
Do you think Rothschild is going to stop now that Jo and Oliver have been announced as TRH The Duke and Duchess of Clarence?
Motu Tane is a real island in French Polynesia. It's stunning. Google it if you're interested.
I would love to read your review on the chapter. The next chapter is going to be three months later. It takes place in Africa.
Please stay healthy & safe.
In gratitude,
Nicole