This is the story of Princesse Matilda Victoria Eleanor de Galles. The Eldest daughter of Princess Catherine and William of Wales. The futur queen of England.
Date: September 8, 2022 Locations: Balmoral Castle, Scotland and Windsor Castle, England
It was a quiet morning at the Cambridge residence. The birds outside were chirping, and the sun's early rays crept through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Inside, Princess Matilda, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis were already awake, the usual excitement of a new school year beginning to settle in their hearts. They had just finished breakfast when their mother, Catherine, walked into the room, her face pale and solemn.
The children paused their chatter, sensing something was amiss. Catherine's eyes were filled with a mixture of sadness and concern as she knelt in front of them. "Darling ones," she began gently, "there is some very sad news this morning."
Matilda, always attuned to her mother's tone, felt her heart tighten. "What's wrong, Mum?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Catherine took a deep breath before speaking again. "Your great-grandmother, the Queen, has passed away peacefully at Balmoral. It was her time, but I know you'll all feel this deeply. She meant so much to us."
There was a heavy silence. For a moment, it seemed as though the entire world had paused. George, who was usually so composed, looked at his mother, his eyes wide. "Granny?" he asked quietly, his voice cracking.
Catherine nodded, her hands gently resting on his shoulders. "Yes, darling. Granny's gone, but we'll hold her memory in our hearts."
Charlotte, who had always admired the Queen's grace and wisdom, clutched her mother's hand. "But she's always been there. Will she be okay?" she asked in a soft, trembling voice.
"She is okay now," Catherine replied, her voice soothing. "She's at peace. And we will be okay too. We've always been a family, and we will support each other through this."
Matilda, though deeply saddened, felt a sense of responsibility to her siblings. As the eldest, she often took on the role of protector, and now, more than ever, she knew she would need to be strong for them. She put her arm around Charlotte, pulling her closer. "We'll get through this together, I promise," she said firmly.
As the news continued to spread across the world, the atmosphere at their residence shifted. William had received the call from Balmoral while still in bed, and within minutes, he was on his way to make arrangements. Catherine remained at home with the children, needing to prepare them for the difficult days ahead. It was a strange mixture of overwhelming sadness and a deep sense of duty that seemed to hang in the air.
Over the next few hours, the media began to flood the airwaves with coverage. People around the world mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history. In Scotland, at Balmoral Castle, royal staff and the family prepared for the transition as the world's attention turned to the royal family and the new monarch.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had just returned from a trip to visit friends in New York when the news broke. It was an emotional moment for Harry, who had spoken to his grandmother only a few days earlier. They had shared a quiet conversation, filled with affection and a sense of comfort, and now, with her passing, Harry was struggling to come to terms with it.
Meghan, who had been keeping herself busy with various projects, noticed immediately that something was off. As soon as Harry received the news, the tension in the room was palpable. "Harry," she began, her voice sharp, "we should have gone. You should have gone back to Balmoral sooner."
Harry, still reeling from the news, stared at her, his face filled with anguish. "Meghan, I—I couldn't have known," he said, frustration rising in his voice. "I was going to visit her soon. I spoke with her last week."
Meghan crossed her arms, frustration boiling over. "You could have gone to see her earlier. This—this is so unfair! She's gone, and now we'll never get a chance to say goodbye. Why didn't you put family first?"
Harry shook his head, a deep sadness in his eyes. "I put family first, Meghan. I spoke to her, I told her I loved her. But now, you're trying to make this about something else. You don't understand how difficult it is."
Meghan stepped closer, her voice lowering. "You should have come when I told you to, Harry. I warned you about this. You know that it wasn't just about you. The whole family—your family—has been divided. And now this."
Harry looked away, not meeting her gaze. His emotions were a tangled mess, and he didn't know how to untangle them, especially not with Meghan pushing her opinions onto him. He was trying to process the loss of his grandmother—the woman who had been a constant presence in his life—and instead, he found himself caught in the middle of an argument.
"You know," Harry began, his voice breaking, "it's not that simple. It's not about who went where or when. It's about grief. And right now, I'm grieving. And I need you to understand that."
Meghan, sensing the growing distance between them, softened her tone. "I do understand," she said quietly, her eyes filled with a mixture of sympathy and frustration. "But I'm just... I'm just worried about you. You need to be with your family, Harry. You can't keep pushing them away."
The tension in the room was thick, but Harry didn't respond. He simply stood, his shoulders slumped, and looked out of the window at the skyline of California. It wasn't home anymore—not in the same way it used to be. He missed his family, but he also knew that everything was complicated now, especially with the media's scrutiny.
Back in the UK, Catherine had her own struggles to contend with. After receiving the news, she did everything she could to comfort her children. George, Charlotte, and Louis were still trying to grasp the enormity of the loss. They were too young to understand the full implications, but Catherine's presence, along with the support of the extended royal family, kept them grounded.
Catherine spoke to them gently as they sat together later that evening. "Your great-grandmother was one of the most remarkable people in the world. And now, we have a responsibility to carry on her legacy—through our actions, through our service to others, and through the love we give to each other."
Matilda, who had been quietly listening, looked at her mother. "What will happen now?" she asked. "What will happen to Granny's crown?"
William's words echoed in her mind as he explained to the children that Queen Elizabeth's passing meant a new chapter for the royal family. As the oldest of the children, Matilda would soon learn that her world was changing, and her role in that world would evolve too.
That evening, the phone rang again. William had been in constant contact with his relatives, who had begun arriving at Balmoral. The world waited for news about the funeral arrangements, the new king's address to the nation, and the changes to the monarchy that were inevitable in the wake of the Queen's passing.
As Matilda lay in bed that night, she thought about the future—the one she had seen glimpses of in her history books, the one she would now have to face head-on. Her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was gone, and things would never be the same.
But Matilda, as always, stood tall, holding the memory of the Queen close to her heart, knowing that she would continue to carry her legacy in the world. Through all the challenges, the loss, and the change, she had her family by her side.
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