by Jenny Frame
Table of Contents
Synopsis
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Epilogue
About the Author
Books Available from Bold Strokes Books
Synopsis
Georgina, Princess of Wales, has always known her destiny, but she never expected duty to call so soon. When her father dies suddenly, she is called back from her Royal Navy post to assume the crown. While the people acclaim their new Queen, Great Britain’s first openly gay monarch, all George feels is the isolation of her station.
Beatrice Elliot’s staunch anti-monarchist views have always been a point of gentle contention with her working class, royalty-loving parents. When Bea—director of a hospice charity—must spend six months working with Queen Georgina, her charity’s new patron, sparks fly and passion blooms. But is love enough to bridge the gap between Bethnal Green and Buckingham Palace?
A Royal Romance
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A Royal Romance
© 2015 By Jenny Frame. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-178-9
This Electronic Book is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, New York 12185
First Edition: May 2015
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Ruth Sternglantz
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])
Acknowledgments
Firstly, I have to thank Radclyffe for taking a chance on a beginner and allowing me to join the BSB family. Thank you to all the Bold Strokes staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes and fellow authors who have made me feel extremely welcome.
A huge thank you to my editor, Ruth Sternglantz. You have made the editing process a wonderful teaching experience. I truly appreciate your guidance, advice, and good humour.
Lily Hoffman, thank you for always being there to help, and giving me the benefit of your talent and knowledge. This book wouldn’t have been possible without your help, encouragement, and belief in me. Your friendship means so much.
Thank you to my friends Amy and Govita who have supported me from the start, believed in my stories and listened to my endless anxieties, self doubt, and craziness. Also to Christine, and Kat Old Chap! Your friendship and support are greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy the book.
A big shout of thanks also goes out to the online Amazons who have followed my writing since I first got the courage to share my work on the Web.
Thanks to my family for always being there in good times and bad, and supporting whatever I wanted to do.
Lou, I would have no love stories to tell without you. You made me believe in knights in shining armour, fairy tales, and happy ever after. Thank you for putting up with all the days and nights obsessing over one story or another, and for having an unshakable belief in me, even when I didn’t. I’m so grateful to you and Barney for giving me more love than I could have ever dreamt of.
Dedication
For Lou
AETERNI VESTRI FIDELITER
Forever yours, faithfully
Prologue
Bethnal Green, London
2044
Beatrice Elliot ran downstairs as quickly as she could. She checked her appearance in the mirror at the bottom. Her long dark-blond hair looked unruly. I’m going to be so late, and I look a mess. She quickly gathered her hair up into a ponytail, making herself a bit more presentable.
From the living room, she heard her mum shout, “Bea?”
Beatrice popped her head round the door and said, “Yes, Mum?”
Her mother, Sarah, sat on the couch facing the large TV projection on the wall. “Are you coming to watch with me? It’s Princess Georgina’s investiture as Princess of Wales.”
Beatrice gave her mother a scowl. “Mum, you know I have absolutely no interest in that shower of spongers.”
Sarah pointed towards the TV and said, “But Bea, the pageantry, the tradition, and she’s going to be the first woman to become Queen ahead of her brother, and the first openly gay monarch. Surely you of all people should understand that.”
Bea sighed. She was getting fed up having this argument with people and hearing the name of Princess Georgina. “They take money away from our country’s essential services. You and Dad should know why that makes me angry.”
Her mother nodded, but not before Bea caught a look of pain on her mother’s face, and she felt guilty for causing that. She walked behind the couch and put her arms around her mother’s neck. “I’m sorry, Mum, but I have my student union meeting. Remember I told you about it last night? It’s our last meeting before the charity fundraiser.”
Sarah patted her daughter’s hand. “Oh yes, I remember, sweetheart, be careful then.”
“I will. Will Dad be in soon?”
“Yes, another half hour or so. He hoped he would be back in time to see the ceremony. Off you go then, and leave me to my pageant.”
Bea laughed softly and gave her mother a kiss. “Enjoy it then. See you later, Mum.”
After Bea left and Sarah heard the front door close, she picked up her cup of tea and settled down to watch the TV special that the country had been buzzing about.
She watched the cameras span the grounds of Caernarfon Castle in Wales. The castle surrounded a triangular area of grass. In the middle of the grass sat a dais made of Welsh slate, on which the ceremony would take place, and around the three sides were the raised seating areas for spectators.
On the dais sat three thrones, while to the side sat the members of the extended royal family. The royal fanfare began and Sarah said to the TV, “Volume, up five.” The fanfare filled the room and she could almost feel like she was sitting there among the spectators.
“Reg is going to be mad he missed this.”
The voice-over began…
And we see the King and Queen emerge from the castle and make their way up, past the spectators, towards
the dais. They are escorted by heralds, resplendent in their ancient dress, the first minister of Wales, and senior peers of the principality and are guarded by men and women of the Household Cavalry. The Welsh National Choir is providing the choral accompaniment to the occasion, and it sounds magnificent, I think you’ll all agree. What an atmosphere. The crowd is applauding King Edward and Queen Sofia as they walk past. There is a joyous feeling amongst the crowd, a feeling of celebration and hope for the future.
Sarah watched the tall, imposing-looking King, dressed in his ceremonial Royal Navy uniform, escort his elegant wife into her seat on the dais, and then take his own seat. To Sarah this was what Britain did best—tradition, ceremony, and pageantry—and she wished her daughter could see that. She understood her hostility. Beatrice believed the monarchy took money away from much-needed organizations such as the National Health Service, schools, and community groups.
The Elliot family knew first-hand what it was to be at the mercy of an underfunded health service.
She had always been a fan of the royals, and especially the very popular King Edward and Queen Sofia. King Edward was a few years older than herself, and so she grew up watching the friendly boy prince become a man and meet his true love, Sofia.
Sarah, along with the nation and two and a half billion people around the world, fell in love with the couple as they watched their fairy tale wedding. Now it was his firstborn daughter and heir’s turn to be invested as Princess of Wales and recognized as heir apparent to the throne.
Sarah heard the front door open and close as her husband hurried to join her for the royal broadcast.
“Reg? Hurry up, it’s started.”
Her husband eased himself down on the couch and gave her a kiss.
Sarah cast a glance down to his hands.
“Reginald Elliot, go and wash those mucky hands. You can’t watch a royal broadcast with dirt and muck on your hands.”
Reg got up quickly and ran to the kitchen to wash up, mumbling as he went, “As if they can see me anyway.”
Reg, who owned his own small landscaping business, usually came home in a less than pristine state. He washed up and hurried back.
“It’s getting to the good bit Reg.” They both eagerly watched the scene unfolding and listened to the voice-over announcer.
The King stands, as the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, approaches the dais. The King instructs him to order the Garter King of Arms to bring the Princess from the castle tower.
Sarah and Reg watched in awe at the almost medieval scene that played before them. The sense of history and tradition was brought alive with the bright colours and the vivid livery of the participants in this ancient ceremony. It was history made alive in their own living room. To Sarah and those royalists like her, the rituals and traditions of Britain, and the monarchy, gave the country a feeling of stability, a connection with the past, but also of continuity. That was what today was all about. The King and the country recognizing not only the heir to the throne, but that Britain’s system of government, led by the constitutional monarch, was in safe hands and the succession of the House of Buckingham was secure.
“Look, Reg, the Princess,” Sarah exclaimed.
And we have our first view of Princess Georgina, who is led from the Castle by the Garter King of Arms and walks past her family seated on the right. We can see her brother, Prince Theodore, Duke of York, and also her grandmother, Queen Adrianna, the Queen Mother. Beside her sits Georgina’s aunt, Princess Grace, along with other members of the family.
The Princess of Wales looks resplendent in her Army uniform of The Blues and Royals, the characteristic black uniform, with gold braid, and a red stripe down the side of the trousers, and spurs on the heels of her boots. She has no officer’s cap, as she is to receive the coronet of Wales during the ceremony. The Princess has recently completed her officer training at Sandhurst military academy and is about to be deployed with her regiment on a six-month training mission in Canada. Of course in her regiment, she is simply known as Lieutenant Buckingham. Also notice—diagonally across her tunic she wears a blue sash, to signify she is a member of the Order of the Garter, which is the highest honour of chivalry. Behind the Princess, the regalia of the Princess of Wales are carried on red velvet cushions. A sword, a coronet, a mantle, a gold ring, and a gold rod.
Sarah thought that Georgina cut a dashing figure. In her smart military uniform, and with her tall broad-shouldered physique and blue eyes, the Princess was her father’s daughter. But her colouring—her sallow skin and dark collar-length hair—was all her mother, Queen Sofia. Although born and brought up in Britain, she was actually a part of the Spanish royal family, and she had passed on her dark looks to both of her children.
We see Princess Georgina make her way up the steps and onto the dais. She kneels before the King on the hassock placed there for her. A hush comes over the castle grounds as the King steps forward towards his daughter.
As the first minister of Wales read the proclamation in Welsh, King Edward took the sword from one of the Welsh peers, who carried the regalia of the Princess of Wales, and draped the Sword of Justice, which was attached to a leather strap, over her head. The strap ran across her chest, leaving the sword at her side. The coronet was then brought forward, and the King reverently placed it upon his daughter’s head as a symbol of her rank. Next the signet ring was placed on her finger; she would keep this on to remind her of her duty as Princess of Wales. The last two items were brought forward—the Golden Rod which symbolized government, and finally the King placed the royal robes around her shoulders.
As the King fastened the robe at her neck, he looked down at his beloved daughter and gave her a smile and a wink.
Now we will see the most formal part of the ceremony. The Golden Rod will be taken from her hands, and the Princess of Wales will now make her pledge to her King, her father, and the nation.
Sarah nudged her husband and said, “Did you see that? The King winked at Georgina. He’s a great man.”
“I saw it, dear.”
Sarah took her husband’s hand and said, “They’re such a warm family, not like some of the royals we’ve had in the past. Oh, look, she’s taking her oath.”
The still-kneeling Princess raised her clasped hands. The King held them between his own and she said, first in English and then in Welsh:
I, Georgina, Princess of Wales, do become your liege woman of life and limb and of earthly worship and faith and truth I will bear unto you to live and die against all manner of folks.
The King then bent over and kissed his daughter on the cheek. The royal fanfare was sounded from the castle walls to signal the end of the ceremony.
The Princess of Wales stood and, taking the hand of her father, was led down the dais, followed by her mother, the Queen. The King led her up onto the castle balcony and presented her to the cheering crowds outside.
“Did you see the pride on the King’s face?” Sarah asked her husband. She dabbed a tissue at the corner of her eyes. “Magical, just magical. This is what this country does best.”
Chapter One
Sandringham House
1 December 2053
Princess Georgina stood, hands clasped behind her back, looking out of her bedroom window at Sandringham House, the Christmas residence of the royal family. Normally Georgina would look forward to this time of year, spending Christmas within the warmth of her family, but not this year.
“Diary.” The computer on the desk came to life and signalled with a beep that it was ready. “Begin. Today is the first day of December. Normally I cannot wait for the Christmas period, but this year will be different. It’s hard to believe that only two days ago, I was serving aboard my ship, HMS Poseidon, blissfully unaware of what was unfolding at home. I received word that the captain wished to see me on a private matter, and I knew it must be bad news about Papa. The King’s doctor had informed the family of my father’s illness a few months ago. He had an aggressive virus that was
proving to be drug resistant. I was angry, and I’m ashamed to admit I took my anger out on the doctor. I found it impossible to believe that a virus could put him in so much danger. I called for a second opinion, and then a third, and I was given the same conclusion: he was dying before our eyes.
“I couldn’t take it in—I expected to have my father for a very long time, and here he was being taken away from me. I was so hurt at the thought of losing my beloved Papa that I refused to see him for weeks.”
Princess Georgina felt the guilt deep in the pit of her stomach. How could I shut out my father, my hero?
She moved from the window and took a seat at her desk, and twirled the ring that her father gave her at the ceremony in Wales.
“Of course Mama knocked sense into me. She is the most caring woman I have ever encountered, but when needed to be, she can be as strong as an ox. Between Mama and Granny, it’s a wonder my father got a say in anything during his reign.” Georgina smiled wistfully, thinking of the family’s two formidable matriarchs.
She reached out for a model ship that was sitting on her desk half-finished and, as she always did in times of stress or when she needed to relax, began building as she spoke. Attaching the tiny parts in order brought calm to her mind.
“I apologized to Papa, and the doctor assured us that he would do everything he could for him. I made peace with the fact that he might have a short time left with us, and promised to make the time we had left together as a family count, and to create some very happy memories. To everyone outside the family, my father is the King, a strong and well-respected man. To us he is a much-loved and adoring father, and to my mother the love of her life. Between Papa and me there is a special bond—ever since I can remember, I have followed his exemplary way of life. Not only have we shared a great deal of the same interests, but he has trained me ever since birth to follow in his footsteps. Where my brother Theo could be let off the leash, so to speak, I had to be trained for a life of duty and service. To that end, we spent a great deal of time together, he teaching me the correct way to lead and to behave. I believe he was most proud when I swapped services to the Royal Navy. Papa had spent his youth in the Navy and passed on his love of the sea and sailing to me. I have spent the past five years serving aboard ship on HMS Poseidon. I thought I had many happy years of service ahead of me, until Papa’s illness. As he worsened, he contracted pneumonia and had been moved here, to Sandringham, in the hopes that the fresh country air would help.”
