August 2027: The Coronation Part XV.
Back at Westminster Abbey, Jeff had made his way out of his spot above the choir stalls to head down to join the others at their spot in the nave, arriving just as the last of the royal party headed out of the door. He had three sketchbooks nearly full with his sketches of the details, his wrist aching a little from both the amount of drawing he had done and the speed with which he had needed to undertake them. The memory card on his camera was also showing as nearly full, but he was still able to take a few shots of the scene at the door with the zoom lens, where the representatives of the other faiths were now in discussion with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of Westminster, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland.
Outside they could hear the military bands playing as the procession back to Buckingham Palace got underway, although it was being challenged by the growing hubbub of conversation within the Abbey itself as the assembled congregation waited for the moment they would be allowed to leave the building.
"Well, that was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life," said Burt. "I am not someone that holds with the idea of monarchy as the best fit for every nation, but the British people seem to hold with it, thanks to having had a good monarch for so long. I can see why they do as well after today. All of the symbolism I saw here moved me; the way the King confessed his faith and acknowledged the rule of God in all that he does just gets you in the heart. His promise that he will serve his people and not expect them to serve him, and the fact that he made that promise when asked by a child not much older than young Wes here…"
Burt paused as Wes grinned at him, before going on, "Then there is all of the history; the fact that the throne he sat on to be crowned was the same one as all of his forebears, those names in the history books, enhanced the sense that it was a continuation of something good and noble. Add in the fact that he was wearing the same robes as his grandfather did when he was crowned nearly a century ago, and well, those that want an end to all of this and want an elected leader instead really need to think about it. As we in the United States now only too well, some of the world's presidents leave much to be desired…"
Hester Frobisher said nothing as she listened, but the expression on her face spoke volumes; this had been one of the happiest days of her life. She would have watched the event on television or stood in the crowds on the street and that would have been something; to have been in the Abbey and have seen her King walk past in front of her with the St Edward's Crown on his head had been much more special and emotional. She had cried at that point, prompting Wes to pass her his handkerchief, and she had taken it to wipe away those tears of delight, whilst thinking that Nick and Jeff had done a wonderful job of raising their son…
At her side the boy in question was now telling his papa all that he had seen, the excitement on his face and in his voice clear. As Jeff listened, Nick was discretely checking his husband's satchel, just to ensure that he had eaten his sandwiches and cookies, as he knew how obsessed he could become when the artist inside him took over…
Suddenly one of the vergers stepped over to them, accompanied by the Hummels security detail, and spoke to Burt in a quiet voice. "Mr Speaker, the car to take yourself and your party to Buckingham Palace is awaiting; if you would like to follow me just now, we will try to get you through the traffic and to your destination before the procession arrives back."
Hearing that, Miss Frobisher smiled, but was glad that she had been given one of the key cards for the hotel room that she had stayed in overnight so that she could collect her bag easily. "Well, this has been a wonderful day, but I will take my leave just now. It was a pleasure to meet you all. Can I also just say thank you for asking me to join you here, as it has made my life just a little more wonderful…" she said, and then paused as she saw the looks on the faces of the others.
Nick smiled, then said, "I'm sorry, did I not tell you when we asked you to join us here? The invitation was not just for the Abbey, but also to be part of the Sterling-Duval party for the whole day; that means, and we have double checked, that you are expected to join us in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace as well. Of course, if you really don't want to be there…"
Hester Frobisher looked at him open mouthed, and then muttered, "Me, be there, in the Throne Room when the King and Queen Consort arrive back? Well, that is… I suppose that if I am expected I cannot really say no…"
So it was that as the Gold State Coach pulled into the front courtyard of Buckingham Palace through the main gates, having passed along in front of the vast cheering crowds, the group of six were already inside. The Coach had passed by the spot where Sam and Kitty had managed to get an unobscured view, with much less violence that Artie had expected, and the two of them had been waving and cheering with the rest as the King and Queen Consort had passed by. Miss Frobisher had been silent for the whole journey and said nothing now as she stood and waited. She had taken the guided tour of the Palace one summer and it had been a marvellous insight, but it paled in comparison to what she was experiencing now…
The rest of the group stood and observed all of the pomp and procedure that was going on around them, Jeff with his final sketchbook out and ready for the moment that the monarch and his wife arrived. They had been joined in the room by the other official artists and their immediate families, a few senior officials, and as they arrived back, those other senior members of the Royal Family that would be seen on the balcony later. There was little conversation other than in whispers, as they heard the horse drawn coach come to a stop in the courtyard down below…
Then with the announcement from a liveried member of staff of "His Majesty, the King!" the royal couple walked into the room. There was no applause or cheers in the room, just bows and curtsies as the dignified ceremony took place. The couple made their way to sit in the thrones dedicated to them, their royal ciphers upon them…
The newly crowned King and his wife did not stay in the Throne Room for long, just a short time to catch their breath, remove the crowns for a moment and attend to any pressing personal needs. The two crowns were left momentarily on velvet cushions and there were no restrictions on any of those in the room getting up close to have a good look, although touching was a definite no-no, even for the grandchildren of the monarch.
Wes was naturally curious to see them up close and asked Miss Frobisher to walk over with him, as his father was busy translating for Burt and Carole as the Speaker of the House talked to one of the King's German cousins, and his papa was already over beside them, sketching them in detail whilst he had the chance. They walked over and stood close enough to have been able to touch them, the kindergarten teacher every bit as entranced as her former student. She had of course seen them both before at the Tower of London, but then they had been behind a sheet of toughened glass, and that had stopped the jewels catching the light so well…
"Miss Frobisher, do all Kings and Queens have the same size of head? Is that one of the rules for being a monarch?" Wes asked quietly, and the lady in question had to smile at that.
"No, they don't all have the same size of head. It always looks like the same crown that is put on the head of the King or Queen of this country, but it is always a little different in fact. They have very skilled jewellers that are able to adjust the crown to make it a little bigger or smaller as required, and nobody can ever spot the difference. Sometimes they will also add a little extra padding inside to make it smaller; it can easily be removed to make it larger again. If that isn't enough, they can take a tiny part of the metal that forms the base out, or add to it, and by always doing it at the back, no-one ever really sees it, as everyone is looking at the face of the King or Queen." Wes nodded, deep in thought, as beside him Miss Frobisher hoped that what she had just said was actually correct. The truth was that she wasn't 100 percent certain herself…
When the royal couple returned, the crowns were soon returned to their heads, before they left for the back of the building; the troops that had marched through the streets of London before them on their way back to Buckingham Palace were now assembled in formation on the lawn, several thousand men and women in neat line, blocked by service, regiment and nation. Those that were in the Throne Room were invited to follow the couple through to the room at the back of the palace above the room from which the door opened out onto the gardens, so that they could watch from the windows as Their Majesties took the salute. This was a process that involved much music, the National Anthem, shouted orders from commanding officers, much co-ordinated movement and culminated in three resounding cheers for the new monarch and his wife that made the heart leap…
Those cheers were so loud that they were heard clearly in The Mall by Sam and Kitty as they moved with the crowd towards the front of Buckingham Palace itself, so that they could get a good view of the still empty balcony. Those watching on television were of course witness to the military gathering as much as those in that upstairs room, the global audience seeing the perfect execution and then hearing those cheers, witness to the look of pleasure on the King's face as it happened. That would be one moment that Jeff was unable to sketch, as he was too busy capturing the assembled troops…
With the military salute over, the King and his consort made their way upstairs; at exactly the moment timetabled for it, they emerged to greet the waiting crowd on the famous balcony, followed by their attendants and the working members of the Royal Family. In the room behind them, Jeff crouched down and sketched away, inspired to create a view of the famous scene from behind. At his side, Nick helped him by taking a few quick photos for future reference, making sure that the flash was still off on the camera…
The scene at the front of Buckingham Palace was shown around the globe of course, but what struck Thad in New York the most was the absent figure, one so familiar in all of the previous appearances. The small lady at the centre of those images for decades was no longer there; she had first been seen as a child with her parents on the day of their Coronation. The more striking images of course came later, notably on VE Day when she was wearing her ATS uniform, and on her own Coronation Day. As the crowd cheered, he was not the only one to feel a little sadness at her absence.
Of course, all that was missing now was the military flypast from the display team that was known as The Red Arrows… As the planes came in sight, ready to leave their red, white and blue vapour trails behind them, the clouds parted fully and the sun shone on the front of the Palace, something which raised a huge cheer from the vast crowd that filled the space below. The Red Arrows screeched overhead, raising another cheer, before voices were raised for an impromptu rendition of The National Anthem. Adam chuckled at hearing it called 'impromptu' by the commentator on the BBC, as he was sure that there were 'plants' in the crowd that started the singing simultaneously…
As the voices rose in song, he checked his watch and knew that it was time that he and Lawrence got under way for their weekend trip. He got up from his seat and pointedly turned the television off, which earned him a look from his fiancé. "Trust me, my love, there will be highlights of all of this on the television for weeks to come, not to mention the chance to see it again on the BBC iPlayer. We have a train to catch, and if we go now then neither the Tube or the train itself will be quite as crowded as they will be when The Mall empties of people who all want to head for home…"
Lawrence had to admit that Adam made a valid point, so he went to fetch his jacket, before checking that all was in good order for Sam's return that night. He did not take long, and soon they were heading for the station at Holborn, where he expected to head for the Central Line as he had done the other day when heading to meet Joan; to his surprise, Adam guided him to the northbound Piccadilly Line. "If we head to Kings Cross St Pancras, we can get on the Thameslink train to East Croydon at St Pancras; it will be much quieter, and almost as quick," he explained, and Lawrence could only nod. It all made sense….
Or it did until they reached St Pancras, and promptly walked right past the barriers to the Thameslink platforms. He said nothing, wondering if they were picking up something at one of the shops there as a gift to Adam's parents. However, a few moments later, he found himself being walked into the entrance to the Eurostar terminal…
As he found himself guided into the queue for passport checks, Lawrence turned to his fiancé with a look of total confusion on his face. "Erm, I seem to recall that the trains heading towards Surrey depart from over there, my love, and there is no need for a passport check for them. I must also point out incidentally that a passport check could be a major issue, as my…" He stopped speaking as Adam handed him the document in question with a smile on his face. "Okay, so you have brought my passport, but that still doesn't explain why we are in this queue in the first place."
"I must confess that initially this was supposed to be happening tomorrow, as the filming schedule was until mid-afternoon today, but once the alteration was made, it was easy enough to add an extra night to our side trip," Adam replied. "Now, that does mean that we do not get to see my folks this weekend after all, but we will be having dinner with them on Monday night. We will be able to tell them all about the time we will be spending this weekend wandering through the narrow streets of Montmartre before we have dinner in a small and very traditional bistro in what they say is the most romantic city in the world. Whether that meal will be as good as my mother's cooking remains to be seen. It does save me from going to the fete, which is not as great as I might have hinted it was; in fact, it is usually a disaster area where all the petty squabbles come to the fore, particularly over the prizes for best flower arrangements, cakes and vegetables…" Adam stopped then as he realised that Lawrence was frozen, staring at him open-mouthed. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"You are serious? We are going to Paris, right now? A surprise holiday in what is a holiday for me anyway? That is just the most wonderful and romantic thing that has ever happened to me! Please tell me that we will have time to see all of the important sights?"
"I already have tickets for our visit to the Eiffel Tower, and for the Louvre, so we can see the Mona Lisa. I have been told that one of the best times to visit Paris is August, as the citizens of the French capital still decamp for the coast en masse this month, leaving it less congested and its streets full of fewer rude people; trust me when I tell you that the average Parisian is both ill-mannered and bad-tempered, born out of an arrogance that comes from thinking they live in the centre of the universe. What is worse is that they don't just display that trait to tourists like us, but to people that come from elsewhere in France as well…"
Lawrence laughed then, having already heard a similar statement from the lips of Jeff when he had been talking about all of the art galleries he had visited in Paris. There was no time for further discussion now though, as they had been moving as they spoke through the passport queue, and it was now their turn to be called to the desk. Adam produced their tickets as their documents were examined by the French border guard in his uniform, then with a nod they were allowed through to scan their tickets on the barrier gates. That done, they headed straight through the waiting area and up the moving walkway to the level above where their train was waiting.
They found their coach in the business premier section, and soon they had stowed their bags in the rack and taken their seats, a pair facing each other at a table. As soon as they were seated a host came over and offered them drinks, which they accepted happily. As she walked off to fetch them, Adam spoke again. "We depart in 15 minutes time – we did maybe cut it a little bit fine I will admit – and we will arrive in Paris Nord before 6pm. All being well, we will be in our hotel room in Montmartre by 6.30pm and outside the Sacré-Cœur by 7pm, as it is just a few minutes' walk from the hotel. We have a table reserved for dinner at a highly recommended bistro at 8.30pm, and then we can take an after-dinner stroll down to the Moulin Rouge…"
Lawrence sighed, his eyes twinkling, then said, "That all sounds wonderful, like an old romantic movie, but I don't need to go and see the dancers doing the cancan; I'd much rather we found a tiny café and sat sipping a glass of wine at a table on the sidewalk as we listened to the people around us in earnest discussion of the issues of the day…"
"I don't care what we do, as long as you are by my side," replied Adam, then leant over the table to kiss his fiancé. They continued to discuss plans as the train pulled out of the station and rapidly gained speed as it headed out of the city. They ate a light meal of French inspired food as the train hurtled through Kent, dessert being brought just as the train plunged into the tunnel that would take it onto the mainland of Europe. They emerged just under half an hour later in countryside that contrasted with that they had just left, and where in Lawrence's eyes the traffic was back on the correct side of the road. It was all new to him, and he couldn't wait to arrive in Paris and start to explore with the man that he loved…
They pulled into the Gare du Nord early, and as soon as they stepped off the train, they were immediately hit with the fact that they were in another country, the announcements that echoed through the space not immediately clear to either of them, even though both spoke French to a degree. As they walked along the platform in the direction of the metro station, however, Lawrence noticed that the digital screens were showing images of the Coronation, and his rudimentary French was enough to tell him that the words on the screen said that there would be full coverage on that night's evening news.
Whilst they had been on the train, Adam had downloaded an app on his fiancé's phone that would allow him to access all of the public transport in the metropolitan area, having already installed it on his own phone a few days before; at the barriers he was relieved to see that it worked first time, as it meant they were able to quickly access the first of the two metro trains they would need to take to reach Abesses station, which was the deepest station on the entire metro system. They exited the station under the édicule, one of only two originals that still remained in the system. It was so evocative of the city, the kind of thing seen in every French New Wave film set there.
They headed to their hotel, which was luxurious and a little old-fashioned, which they both loved. Their room was furnished with antiques, had a window that gave a view out onto the streets below, and had an air of gallic romance. All of that left them both feeling that their weekend was going to be a very good one indeed…
Back in London, Artie was talking on a video call to Isabelle when Sam and Kitty returned, both of them smiling broadly have been caught up in the public celebration of the King's Coronation in The Mall. They had walked back from the gates of Buckingham Palace to the hotel immersed in a sea of smiles, the sun breaking the clouds above them more and more. They both fell silent as they listened to Artie discuss the exclusive photographs from the previous day that she was about to publish online on the Vogue website, the photos of the events of that day already proving a huge hit for the magazine.
"I see our exclusive pictures as a companion piece, a look behind the scenes at what has to be the big event of the summer. This will be a year for the British monarchy that will be recalled for two major events, both of which brought the United Kingdom and so many other places in the world to a halt; two ceremonies that captivated the world and had all of us in awe of the pomp that the British do so well. Incidentally, our photo editor asked me to pass on that your images were some of the best that he had ever seen, so if you ever get tired of being a film director, there will be a position waiting for you on the camera team here at Conde Naste…"
Artie laughed at Isabelle's words, but knew she was being completely genuine, so felt rather proud of himself too. "I can't see that happening, but it is always good to have a fallback plan."
Isabelle smiled, then said, "I can see that Sam and Kitty have returned, so I will let you go. I think I can hear Julian and the children arriving back as well, so I am no doubt about to be told all about the atmosphere out there in the crowds…"
"We can compare notes on that later, as I am sure that I am going to be told all about it here too," Artie replied. Joking that she would hold him to that, Isabelle ended the call, leaving Artie to turn to his wife and friend with a smile…
"That was the experience of a lifetime," said Sam with a grin. "I have actually become a figure in a historical event!" Kitty could only smile at his words, as what he said was correct. For her this week had already been so memorable, given that she had danced in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace with the King, but the events of that day came a close second…
Isabelle's instincts were proven correct, and the minute that the exclusive pictures from the previous day's rehearsal were online on the Vogue website, the number of hits that the site received soared to record levels. Over the next hour or so, she received a number of messages over social media, the vast majority of them congratulating her on pulling off the scoop of the decade for the magazine. The one that came from her predecessor, Dame Anna Wintour, was the most precious of all to her, as she stated that Isabelle was most definitely a worthy successor to her, and she had now staked her place amongst the greatest editors of all time of what was still the global fashion bible.
There were of course messages from fellow editors in the fashion media, but there were notes of jealousy in a lot of them, and there was even a hint of hatred in the message she received from the editor in chief of the leading Paris based publication. She bristled as she read it, having to stop herself from making an equally catty reply.
"I wouldn't worry about him; he was always a clueless idiot," came a voice as she shook her head sadly, and she laughed as she realised that Kurt had now joined her.
"I take it that you had a good time in Westminster Abbey?" she asked, knowing that he would have been there, amongst probably countless other angels in the eaves.
"It was the best time ever. Finn's girlfriend Alice was extremely emotional about the whole thing, being British of course… However, the moment that the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the crown upon his head and shouted out those words, I felt such a surge of emotion myself. There is a new era starting now for the world, but none of us that were alive during her reign will ever forget his mother. I don't think that he will ever be able to match her, a good man though he is, in terms of stature on the global stage. He knows his limitations on that score; he will never wield the soft power that his mother had over the leaders of the world. She was always an enigma, her opinions unknown, but his are too well known after years of speaking his mind."
Isabelle smiled, knowing that what Kurt had just said was true; no matter how good a King he was, he would never be the iconic figure that his mother was. She had been a link to the past, a Queen in her twenties, taking the throne after the tragic early death of her beloved father. She had grown old in the public eye, but her keen interest in the world had never faded. There would never be another person like her…
Over in New York, once the balcony scene had been played out, the normal routines of a Saturday morning had taken over. With Caleb now in his bed once more, Thad had headed out to the market in Union Square, browsing the stalls as Nick, Jeff and Wes usually did on a Saturday morning; he purchased sourdough bread, sharp cheddar cheese, and home cured ham and bacon. On a whim, he added a whole fresh chicken too, which he knew would feed him for two or even three days, as long as a certain cat could be kept away from it. He then stocked up on fresh produce, before adding a bottle of sparkling cider to his haul, a little something with which to toast Coronation Day.
On his way home he bumped into Flint and Izzy with their children. They were on their way to the synagogue on what was the Sabbath Day; he knew that it was not something that they did as a family very often, although he also knew that Flint told his mother they attended weekly to placate her. They were in a rush, so he did not detain them, though as he walked westward, he did wonder if there was a special event that was propelling them to temple; he was pretty sure that it wasn't a birthday….
At the corner of the West Village street, he met Mike, the latter on his way to work at the City Ballet. They exchanged a few words as Thad did not want to detain him too long, but he found out from Mike that Ethan, Drew and Evie had headed out half an hour ago, probably for the weekly supermarket trip to Brooklyn. They parted, and Thad reached the front door of his temporary home without bumping into anyone else. He sorted out his purchases, ready with some tuna to place in Caleb's bowl as the cat appeared the moment he opened the door of the refrigerator, which still made him chuckle.
That done he made himself a cheese and ham sandwich on the fresh bread and had just finished it when his phone began to ring. He glanced at the screen and smiled on seeing that it was his friend, colleague and former Broadway star on the line. Then he wondered why Sebastian was calling him…