Finally, after a month of being showered with hate everywhere my family and I went, we got to get some rest for Easter. Our Norfolk home was the getaway destination as usual, but unfortunately, as it has become the standard for the last few holidays.. our breaks weren't meant to end happily.
I got a phone call from my father a few days after Easter, his voice was sad and gloomy.. "Harry must have struck again" - I thought to myself. But my father surprised me when he broke the news that my grandfather had passed away. It took me a moment to process it.. I mean, because of his old age and his recent illness, I saw it coming but I wasn't ready for it at that time, the last thing I needed during that turbulent period was to lose a constant figure in my life, who meant so much to me.
Catherine overheard the conversation and was informed of the news that way, she came and hugged me as I ended the phone call. So many thoughts were going through my mind at that moment, but I suppressed them and stayed silent for the majority of the following days.
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As the preparations for the funeral began, one of the matters I began getting information about, were the details about the Covid precautions and the limited amount of guests allowed.. surprisingly enough, Harry was one of those people who were going to attend after quarantining for a certain period of time upon his arrival in the UK. I know it shouldn't be a surprise that the grandson of the deceased would be at his funeral, but it was surprising because of his recent actions.
"The audacity that man has ! He bashed the poor man and his family on international television while he was on his death bed & now he's acting all sad and touched by his departure.." - I once said while complaining to Catherine. It was at that moment when her peacemaker side really began to show.. "I know it's confusing and annoying, but don't you think it's better for you to meet again during such circumstances, instead of when it's all happy and peaceful ?" - she said. "I don't think he'd dare bring up his problems during such time. Can you promise me to avoid conflict, and to just make small conversation & let it pass ?" - she continued after a pause.
The angry part of me wanted to say no, I wanted to scream and shout at that man the moment I saw him again.. but as usual my Catherine would succeed in humbling and grounding me, she had a point, we can all agree that a funeral would be the worst place possible to bring up family drama, especially because my grandfather wouldn't have wanted to see that.
••
And so, the funeral took place. It took every fiber of my being to stay focused on reflecting on the life and legacy of my grandfather, instead of giving my attention to the tension I was feeling just by being in the presence of Harry.
As we were heading outside the chapel, Harry approached me and Catherine.. "Good afternoon" - he said. I replied back as I turned my face away from him. Catherine then jumped in to save the conversation.. she made small talk with him, asking him about how his little son was doing & how he felt about the baby girl Meghan and himself had on the way.
People thought we were on good terms when they saw the pictures of this encounter, they couldn't have been more wrong, I was avoiding the conversation to the best of my ability & Catherine was putting on a pretty good act, that is all.
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A couple of months passed & just as I was beginning to get over the fact that I had to encounter Harry a few weeks after his bombshell interview.. I had to meet him again. That time it was even harder for me, because the matter concerned my mother, the person who once united us even in her absence & the reason we were once best friends.
She would have been 60 on July first of that year. In 2017, when everything was still okay between us, we decided to build a memorial statue of her in the sunken garden, in the grounds of Kensington Palace. Unfortunately, as the years passed and as our relationship worsened, nothing changed about that plan.. and so, we had to go on with it, we had to unveil the statue together in front of the whole world.
It was already hard enough for me to join my brother for this event, but our public image and Harry himself, had to make it a thousand times worse. Harry argued about how I wanted my wife and children to be present for the unveiling while he didn't have his family by his side too, it was just infuriating considering that it was Meghan's choice not to attend.
My family also pressured me to release a joint statement about our mother with my brother, instead of each one of us writing his feelings about her individually. Their reasoning for that was to avoid comparisons as much as possible, but I knew it was deeper than this.. my family knew that whatever I wrote, Harry's statement would be applauded and glorified, while mine would be used to prove that I'm Diana's useless son, who doesn't actually love her like his brother does. I appreciated their attempt in protecting me, that is why I eventually agreed to the joint statement.. but it was just sad how Harry succeeded in painting that image of me & how I was supposed to carry the burden of it.
••
Meanwhile, in the background of all this chaos.. Catherine was the one keeping me composed and collected. She had my back in every moment of that day & even the days leading up to it, she was the reason I was able to push through.
A little while before the official unveiling took place, I got permission to go see the statue of my mother with my wife and children, since my lovely brother refused to have them present at the actual event.
The children ran towards my mother's figure as soon as the garden was opened for us, "oh how much I would have loved for them to see her in reality !" - I whispered to Catherine who was walking next to me. "They see her in you Wills, I do too.." - she responded. It felt like someone had given my broken heart a hug when I heard her response, I looked at her eyes and smiled so wide, again a moment where I knew I was looking at my soul mate.
We then took a look at the statue & we all loved it, but I might have loved the time we spent together afterwards even more. When we went back home, all we could talk about all evening was my mother.. my little ones kept asking me questions about her & my heart was expanding as I shared my memories of her with them. Somehow in that moment, I felt that I saw my mother again in them as much as they saw her in me.
••
The day when Harry and myself had to unveil the statue for the public eventually came, and as much as I was heartbroken at the sight that my mother must have been witnessing from above - her two boys, whom she loved dearly, standing apart from each other, with so much pain and problems between them - I felt comforted knowing that she had seen a much better scene when she looked down, and saw me with the people who brought me the uttermost joy, my family, my strength & my home.
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HEIR - Prince William
FanfictionIn the midst of all the accusations being thrown at Prince William by his own brother, who was once his best friend.. I think it would only be fair that we also see his point of view. Unfortunately he cannot write this book himself, because of a rul...
