HRH Princess Alexandra of Wales

Chapter 4 HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, GRANNY

As I approached Balmoral Castle, the grandeur of the Scottish Highlands enveloped me. Nestled amidst lush green hills, the castle stood as a testament to both history and beauty. Its granite walls bore witness to centuries of royalty, and its turrets reached towards the heavens.

I entered the castle through its ornate wooden doors, their craftsmanship a reflection of the rich heritage within. The interior exuded warmth and elegance, with tartan-clad furnishings and regal portraits adorning the walls. The scent of aged wood and the crackling of a roaring fire welcomed me, as if the very essence of Scotland was encapsulated within these walls.

As I wandered through the halls, I couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence for the countless monarchs who had called this place home. The rooms whispered stories of secret meetings, royal gatherings, and quiet contemplation against the backdrop of the Highlands' wild beauty.

Stepping outside, the sprawling gardens and pristine lochs unfolded before my eyes, a breathtaking spectacle of nature's splendour. Balmoral Castle, with its rich history and stunning surroundings, was a sanctuary where the past and present converged, inviting me to explore and immerse myself in the timeless allure of this regal retreat.

It was not my first time there but now I really feel the connection with the castle that granny has been trying to transmit to me. I was due to spend the rest of my summer here until finally joining my boarding school in Wales which I was really looking forward to. The frist few days at the castle I spend my time riding the horses around the grounds of the castle alongside Louise and eventually James. They were my father's younger cousins by we were way nearer in age than them, Louise was just 22 days older than me.

On my fifth day in Scotland as I was making my way towards the library (followed by Richard as always), the personal secretary of my Granny approached me.

- M'am the Queen has asked for you to join her in the drawing room for a cup of tea

I nodded and without hesitation, turned down towards the room. I was waiting for this meeting but she had been really busy in those few days as she held meetings with the Prime Minister and with several authorities. When I finish my IB in 2021 I would be asked to join those meetings as so did my grandfather and even my dad. My relationship with her, surprisingly, was excellent. I really look up to her devotion towards the crown and admire who she was so good with her children in spite of the multiple headaches they had caused.

-Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra Victoria France,

I bowed as I was taught and then waited respectfully for an order to take a seat. Even though I did not enjoy protocol and so on, being in front of Her Majesty the Queen gave me the necessity of following every single norm of royal protocol.

- You may take a seat dear- she did It too, and shot the first question after we both were served with a cup of earl grey tea- Are you enjoying your presence here?

- Yes ma'am, I have been riding with Louise and reading with Anne at the library. Everything here is really peaceful, I am falling in love with the peace this place gives to me.

Had I ever talk to you about your Grandmother dear?- she wondered looking into my eyes blue to blue, ocean to ocean.

Not really m'am - my curiosity grew a lot. I had only heard about my grandmother, from Harry and from the Spencer's siblings, but there were still a lot of gaps in her story and of her whereabouts.

- I met her for the first time when she was a little girl. Lottie and you are really similar to her. - she took a sip of her tea while debating if that conversation was appropriate for me to hear. She did that a lot when we were talking about her own sister, Margaret- I saw her again shortly after her eighteenth birthday, she was still a child. She and her grandmother joined us for a few days during our summer stay here in Balmoral.

Your grandmother was very shy and impressionable, and my mother was obsessed with Charles marrying someone who was a virgin and respectable. She was a really good fit for the crown though not for your grandfather, who at the time was already in love with Camila.

Did grandpa try to go away with Camila?- I asked, afraid of her response.

She sighed, as recalling some past memories- Lexy dear, we must always put the crown above our own needings and desire, at the time the best for the Crown was him marrying Diana and he did so - that was her typical response, I had heard about it in every single of our meeting whenever we held a reunion- One of my biggest regret, alongside you growing up in Spain

So, the Crown isn't always about Granny? What should I decide If I eventually need to decide between the Crown and my own aspirations?- I know I will always be able to pose those questions around our conversations as she was the only one that may understand my feelings.

The Crown must always be above, but we as royal members must learn to appreciate and embrace our mistakes, we are human Lexy and have feelings but those need to be put away as we must preserve the legacy of this family.

Your grandmother was the biggest jewel the Crown had at the time, many stated I was jealous of her, but I was really proud. She was just a teenager when she joined the firm and in spite of her horrific marriage with Charles, she converted our family into something to admire during her time with us. After the divorce, she devoted herself to your father and your uncle without letting her charitable work apart. I was upset when I heard about her passing away. Alexandra, when you become a working royal in the near future, I want you to always remember your grandmother's works, even though you have to break a few little protocolo orders. After my passion the crown may suffer a little as your father and my son are not really popular, but I believe you may be able to gain the hearts of the citizens.

Her remarks took me by surprise, obviously with her age the outcome was coming, but I never thought I could be a positive thing for the crown. I still lacked many skills to be a queen as appreciated as she was, but I would do my best not to disappoint her.

Our conversation went on for the rest of the afternoon as my grandmother gave me advice for my future as an active member of the royal family and a few hints about my place in Wales. We had decided (between the two of us and without interference from any of the firm's communications team) that I would use the name Mountbatten during my training. It was a risky thing to do, but I was sick of having to leave behind who I was. If I was going to study for the International Baccalaureate in Wales, I wanted to be myself. I would tell my classmates that my ancestry was German although I grew up in Spain, and I would avoid revealing my identity until I knew that the person I was doing it with was trustworthy (that would involve a lengthy investigation by the secret services). Fortunately my security team would not be seen as out of place at the boarding school as I also studied at the children of different personalities.

We also made a plan in case my indentity was revealed to the world as I was to spend all my time in the Uk and paparazzis may eventually found me and get to know how I am. For those arranging that plan, my parents and my grandfather joined us. At the beginning Mom was extremely triggered by a situation she were not ready for (but only I was able to notice).

- Denying it will be useless, I don't understand why it is put on the table.- It's for your protection- Dad, I'm not a child to be handled. If it becomes public, the least you should do is to be honest. Another lie will only magnify the size of the problem. The best thing for the image of the crown would be to tell the whole story and admit our mistake, it would neutralise the criticism and comments. Maybe then a walk in Hyde Park to normalise the situation and maybe even answer a couple of questions from the media. But we should not let them control the situation.

- It's a brilliant plan," said one of the members of the communications team, "What do you think, Your Majesty?

- The princess is right, leave everything in place in case it happens. - When the team members left and only the family members were left, my grandmother spoke, this time more sternly - Charles, William, listen to Alexandra from time to time, she thinks more like someone from this generation and I am sure she will help us to improve the image of the family - after this she left the room with one of her corgis following her as silence took over the room.