HRH Princess Alexandra of Wales

Preface: the birth of a Princess

The morning following the revelation of Kate's pregnancy, Prince William found himself summoned urgently to a high-stakes meeting with his father, the Prince of Wales, his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and various departments of the royal household at the illustrious Windsor Castle. His journey there was shrouded in silence, his thoughts a turbulent storm of self-recrimination. He knew all too well that he had failed in his role as the heir to the British throne, an unforgivable lapse in judgment that was unbecoming of his royal station. From a young age, he had been instilled with the unwavering expectation that he must always strive for excellence in his public life, a responsibility that weighed heavily on his shoulders. It was a relentless pressure that tormented him, one he had neither chosen nor sought, but one that he bore with a heavy heart.

As the meeting unfolded, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, who had initially reacted to the news with anger and dismay, remained mostly silent. He offered measured nods of acknowledgment and added a few conditions to the emerging plan, recognizing the gravity of the situation. Charles understood that the monarchy could ill afford any scandals, particularly as his long-awaited wedding to Camilla Parker-Bowles loomed on the horizon. In moments like these, William couldn't help but long for the presence of his late mother, Princess Diana. He was convinced that Diana would have fiercely challenged the firm's decision, never allowing her first grandchild to be separated from the family.

The difficult choice to entrust the upbringing of Prince William's child to a secure family in Spain was not taken lightly by the communications team at Buckingham Palace. Nevertheless, they deemed it necessary to shield the monarchy's image from any potential scandal. As the heir to the British throne, any hint of personal impropriety on William's part could have far-reaching consequences for the monarchy and the nation as a whole.

The selection of the Griffin family was made after careful deliberation. They had no direct ties to the Royal family and resided in a community populated by many English families, offering the future child a chance to maintain a connection with English culture and society. This decision was conveyed to Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales during a tense meeting. Though as a grandmother, Elizabeth Regina had reservations about the decision, she ultimately understood its necessity. For her, the crown's preservation must always supersede personal emotions and desires, a lesson she had learned from her father during the harrowing days of the Second World War when he chose to remain in London despite enemy bombings.

As the longest-reigning monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth had always governed with a steadfast commitment to putting the crown and the institution above all else, even her own maternal instincts. It was a principle she had steadfastly upheld throughout her reign, even when her heart ached to act as a mother rather than a queen. The decision to have Prince William's child raised outside the royal court was made in the interest of safeguarding the monarchy's image and ensuring that William could ascend to the throne with an unblemished past.

When Catherine, future Duchess of Cambridge, heard William's proposal after the meeting, it felt like a waking nightmare. Her breath caught in her throat, and time seemed to stand still. The idea that her beloved William, the man she had envisioned building a family with, could suggest such a heart-wrenching plan was unfathomable. No one in their right mind would ask a mother to relinquish the privilege of watching her child grow. Only hours before, they had joyfully conversed about their future baby, speculating on who the child might resemble and wondering if their little one would inherit Harry's red hair. Now, William, constrained by the royal responsibilities he bore, was informing her of their decision to keep their firstborn a secret, hidden from the world beyond the family and the intricate web of the British royal family's internal communications and relations department.