William and Kate A Royal Love Story by Christopher Andersen

Author:Christopher Andersen [Andersen, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ePub Bud (www.epubbud.com)
Published: 2011-04-27T04:00:00+00:00

Kate is a lovely girl . . . who happens to be going out with a boy called William who happens to be a prince. That’s all.

—Middleton family friend Gemma Billington

He’s lucky to be going out with me.

—Kate, to yet another friend who said she

was lucky to be dating William

You can’t string her along forever.

—Prince Philip, to his grandson William

6

December 15, 2006

Sandhurst

“I love the uniform,” Kate whispered to her mother as William marched by with an SA80 rifle on his shoulder and the distinctive scarlet sash of the sovereign’s banner holder slung across his chest. “It’s so, so sexy.”

The Sovereign’s Parade marked Cadet Wales’s graduation from Sandhurst, and since this time Kate was not invited to sit with the Royal Family, she wanted to make certain William could spot her with her parents in the general stand. Enveloped in a crimson wool coat, wide-brimmed black hat, high black leather boots, and elaborately stitched black leather gloves, Kate was such a standout even in this crowd that at one point Prince Charles could be seen pointing her out to the Queen from across the field.

Palace officials took pains to explain that only members of the Royal Family could sit in the royal enclosure. Kate could scarcely complain about being snubbed. She and her parents sat in the front row of the general stand, next to two of William’s godfathers—Norton Knatchbull (Baron Brabourne) and King Constantine of Greece.

Harry had found it impossible not to break up when his grandmother reviewed the troops as they stood stern-faced and ramrod straight, and Wills was no different. The Queen, braced against the December chill in a red wool coat of her own, paused in front of the Heir just long enough to break him up and then moved on.

“For those who are to be commissioned today,” the Queen told the 233 graduating cadets, “a great deal will be expected of you . . . and you must be all these things in some of the most challenging environments around the world.” Like Harry, William was set to join the Windsor-based Household Cavalry’s Blues and Royals. (They would not be the only royals to serve in the regiment; their aunt, Princess Anne, was an accomplished equestrienne who already held the rank of colonel in the Blues and Royals.)

In view of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, both princes were also due to undergo extensive training in desert warfare. From there, their military career paths would sharply diverge. To familiarize himself with all branches of the service, the future commander in chief would serve in both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force as well as in the army.

Ironically, precisely that future role as head of Britain’s fighting forces would in all probability preclude him from seeing action. Although it was ultimately up to the prime minister, one veteran diplomat observed, “There is simply no way they are going to put him at risk.” The reason: “William is the last best hope for the monarchy.” Harry was an entirely different matter: “Prince Andrew was allowed to fight in the Falklands.

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