A Royal Love Story

Chapter 29 - Engagement Day and Interview

It was now 15th of December. The day of our engagement interview and press conference. He decided to have it different to William and Catherine, less formal and made-up. All I wanted was a couple of pictures of Harry and I as well as an interview. We had decided to have the actual pictures done inside in Clarence House, away from the bitterly cold outside. We only had to go outside once for an ‘ambience photo’, and I was absolutely frozen!

We only allowed two photographers in to get our pictures of the ring and lovey-dovey photos of the both of us hugging, kissing and having a laugh. We also had one guy doing our engagement interview, Tom Bradby from ITV. He had been a really good friend to William and Harry through the years, and also had done William and Catherine’s engagement interview too, so he had some idea of what questions to ask etc.

We had a little break before the interview took place. Harry and I headed upstairs to get some privacy. I shut the door and just hugged Harry. “Baby, you ok?” He asked.

“Yeh I’m fine honey, just thinking.”

He pulled away slightly and gave me a quizzical look, “Thinking? About what?”

“Just about how this, today, is gonna change the rest of my life. And also how excited I am to spend the rest of my life with you.” I went in to hug him again, but he had other ideas. He lifted me up and sat me on the bed. He sat there staring into my eyes with his deep blue ones. It felt like we had just met all over again. He leant in to kiss me, but just before he could, Jamie knocked and came in to tell us that everyone was ready for us now. I took a deep breath, grabbed Harry’s hand and we both went downstairs.

We were met in the drawing room with the sight of cameras and Tom sitting in a chair. He got up and introduced himself. He seemed like a nice man, it was quiet comforting with him in the room, I don’t know why. I was slowly getting more and more nervous. Harry wouldn’t let go of my hand, just to make sure I wouldn’t run, I think.

We both sat down on the sofa, sort of snuggled up really. Tom just looked at us and laughed. Harry asked, “Mate, what’s so funny?”

Tom replied, “Oh nothing. I just can’t believe you are getting married.”

“Well I am. To the love of my life. Please can we get on with the interview?” I giggled and the director said “Action” and we were off, the first question was,

“So, Harry where did you propose?”

Harry replied, “In Scotland, up in the highlands on our first anniversary break.” I squeezed Harry’s hand a little tighter.

Tom carried on, “Sophia, was it romantic?”

A little apprehensive I replied, “It was so romantic. He took me up there as a total surprise as we hadn’t spent our anniversary together due to Harry being in Afghanistan. So he took me up there for a weekend and it was amazing.”

Harry quickly interjected and said, “Well I wanted it to be special and something that neither of us will forget. I also wanted to impress Soph too.” We exchanged a small smile and Tom carried on,

“Both of you have looked very happy for a while. When did you get engaged?”

Harry replied, “It was just after I had come home from Afghanistan, so about 2 months ago. I was injured out there, so I came back early. I was going to do it once I had come home anyway, but I thought that it was the best moment to do it.”

Tom nodded and carried on, “Obviously, Sophia, you are going to joining the Royal Family. How are you feeling about that?”

“Well, I have met the majority of the family already and they have all been so very welcoming towards me. I am not worried at all about joining the family. Harry’s brother and father were so supportive while Harry was in Afghanistan and we get on really well. I am quite excited, really to be a part of Harry’s family.”

“You say you have met the majority of the members of the family, have you met Harry’s grandmother, the Queen?”

“Yes I have and she is a very lovely person to talk to and be around. At times we do have a catch up to see how everyone is and things like that.”

“So, tell us about your relationship. There was the infamous split about a year ago. Do you now feel like you are made for each other, Harry?”

“Well, I felt in that time I had made the biggest mistake of my life, letting Soph go like that and all I wanted to do was get her back, but I didn’t know how. I’m just so happy she came to her senses.” He laughed at the end and squeezed my hand.

I cut in and said, “Haha very funny.”

Tom asked me my opinion and I said, “I found myself in that time we were apart and I ended up feeling that I loved Harry more during the time we spent apart. So, I felt like I had to see him again and give it another go.”

Tom carried on, “You have both mentioned Harry’s time away in Afghanistan, start with you, Harry, did it make your relationship stronger?”

“I think it did. Every month I would send her a letter telling me how I was, how much I loved her and missed her. I had to fly with her picture in my pocket every day, and sometimes I made her sort of take over. During the evenings I just shut my eyes and remembered everything we had done together. It definitely made me love her more.”

“And Soph?”

“Yeh I definitely think that it made us stronger. I worried and missed him every day, and that just wanted me want him more really. It showed me how much I genuinely loved him and wanted him to come home safe, and thank God, he did.”

I smiled at Harry and he gave me the best reassuring smile in the world. I kept holding his hand tightly, not wanting to let him go. Tom once again carried on, “Now talking in your future roles into consideration, will you be taking on roles together, and will you both still be working?”

I let Harry go first, “I’m not going to go back to work, no. once all of the drama from me coming back from Afghanistan had finished we made the decision that I’m not going back to work. I will now be a full-time royal, focusing on my work with Sentebale and my other charities.”

I carried on, “I think I will finish working until the end of this school year, and then I will finish working. I did contemplate carry on working for longer, but we have had a long chat about it and we have decided to both become full-time royals and work together.”

Harry added, “Once we have done about a year together Soph will start looking at what charities she would like to take an interest in, but before that time we will be together.”

Tom finished, “And just to end, I have two questions, are you two in love? And, Harry, will you give Soph a kiss just for us?”

We both said at the same time, “Yeh we are in love.” Just after, he gave me a peck on the lips and we both giggled. The director said “Cut!” and it was over.

Harry and I bust out laughing at the end and hugged each other on the sofa. “Well, now that’s done, shall we make it upstairs? I have a present for you.” Harry whispered and winked at me. I nodded and he carried me up the stairs leaving the camera crews to pack up and leave by themselves.