Princess Hope

chapter eleven

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June 2010

Andra was grateful that she chose to wear a wide-brimmed hat. The heat was disorienting even with the hat. This was her first public Trooping The Colour. She used to watch the festivities from the comforts of her room in Buck House. That was fine with her. The pomp and glamour of her grandmother's official birthday never had the same appeal to her as re-watching season one of the American series, Gilmore Girls, or the recent episodes of BBC's Doctor Who.

Now that she was finally out in Society, Gilmore Girls and Doctor Who had to take the backseat. She fidgeted with her skirt as she rode in the carriage with her Camilla and William. "Take a deep breath. Then, smile and wave. It will help you forget about the heat," Camilla kindly suggested. "There'll be sparkling water at the venue."

"Thank you, Camilla." She said, then she took a deep breath. She smiled and waved as suggested. The loud cheers from the crowd drowned out her thoughts about the blazing heat and the nightmare of fainting in front of the whole nation.

They finally made it to the Horse Guards building in Whitehall. Prince William ushered his sister to the balcony overlooking the parade grounds while Camilla and the rest of the family waited in the Duke of Wellington's former office. The Wales siblings except for Harry stood on the balcony as they waited for the arrival of their grandparents and the Royal Colonels.

Andra had her gaze trained onto the Ivory Mounted Phaeton as it entered the grounds followed by her father in his Welsh Guards full dress uniform, her granduncle, and her Aunt. The Queen, looking good in her lilac and floral ensemble, dismounted the carriage first. Then, she was followed by her grandfather, dressed in his Grenadier Guards full dress uniform, who dismounted from the carriage first. . Andra dipped into an elegant curtsy as William bowed his head.

Prince Philip beamed proudly as he glance up at his granddaughter before following the Queen on the saluting base. The parade started shortly. Andra found herself having fun as she watched the soldiers march past them. William, the excellent brother that he was, became her own commentator during the whole parade.

At the end of the parade, William and Andra left the balcony to proceed to their carriage to head back to Buckingham Palace for the rest of the ceremony. She looked forward to the Royal Air Force's flypast and the hundred-year-old royal balcony tradition. This was her first balcony appearance; as her cousins like to put it, she was a balcony virgin.

They went out on the balcony to greet The Queen as she arrived with the sound of the 21-gun salute and God Save The Queen in the background. As soon as the Queen entered the palace walls, the rest of the Royal Family went back inside. The changing of the guards started while the royals were inside preparing to greet the Queen.

Andra was second in line, right next to William, as they greeted their grandmother. She performed a smooth and graceful curtsy, one that she has practiced her whole life.

Prince Philip beamed proudly at his granddaughter. "Well done," he said, then he gave her a pat on the head like he usually does whenever she did something that made him happy. Andra grinned to stop herself from giggling.

The family then headed out to the balcony for the flypast. The one part of the ceremony that Andra was excited to see in person.

The cheers of the crowd were deafening when the Queen and Prince Philip emerged with Princess Hope Alexandra beside the latter. It was a calculated decision on the part of Her Majesty's advisers. Andra was the spitting image of her mother and that she was a Royal fledging. A new face. Everyone was curious about the very protected Princess and if they played it right, she would be good for the Royal Family's popularity and she can be instrumental in keeping the Commonwealth realm together.