Princess Adeline of Wales

Chapter Sixty-Six: First Solo Engagement

18 April 2009

Princess Adeline becomes Patron of the Natural History Museum

Princess Adeline of Wales has become Patron of The Natural History Museum. Her Patronage of The Natural History Museum reflects Her Royal Highness's interest in the natural world and history.

The Natural History Museum is an award-winning tourist attraction and also a world-leading science research centre. Through its collections and scientific expertise, the Museum works to help understand and maintain the richness and diversity of our planet, with ground-breaking partnerships in more than 70 countries. For further information please visit www.nhm.ac.uk. 

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Clarence House

"Are you sure about this?" Adeline asked standing up from her make-up table, it wasn't too late for him to back out of this weekend; she was sure that her brother would understand if Simon didn't want to go. 

The last year had been hard enough after what Harry had done, it wasn't like his actions could be erased especially given the fact that the press would not let up in their coverage of their relationship. 

Simon laughed softly and nodded his head, it was too late to back out now anyway and he knew that he couldn't hide away forever; he had to find a way forward in his life without getting stuck in the past. 

He'd never forgive Harry for what he had done, his decision to speak to the press about his relationship with Adeline had been thoughtless and desperate in an attempt to break them up. 

In time he would perhaps tolerate Harry, he was afterall Adeline's brother and even if they weren't currently speaking there was a chance that they would make up further down the line in the name of family unity. 

"It'll be fine. It's not like your brother's gonna fed me to the wolves," Simon reassured her, it was to be a quiet weekend get away with the guys; something he'd missed in the last year since he shared many mutual friends with Harry. 

Although not all of them had taken Harry's side in the breakdown of their friendship, they had stopped inviting Simon and Harry to events where the both of them would likely attend. 

"No Harry already did that," Adeline muttered shaking her head, it still bothered her that he had thrown them under the bus especially given his own dark secrets with no care for how the reveal would affect them. 

Thankfully the public response to the news of their relationship had been mostly a good one, people pleased to see a mixed-race person connected to the royal family. 

They talked about how if the couple married then Simon would be the first non-white person to marry into the royal family ignoring the fact that her cousin, Lady Davina Windsor had married Gary Lewis who was from New Zealand. 

The elder daughter of the Duke of Gloucester had married her husband back in 2004, making Gary the first person of known Māori descent to marry a member of the royal family, or to marry the daughter of a British prince.

Simon sighed moving towards Adeline and wrapping his arms around her, it hadn't been easy and the adjustment to having the press stalk his every step was not an easy one. 

Everything he did was reported in the papers, even something as simple as heading to the shops became a task when it had once been so easy. 

He certainly didn't envy Catherine, who'd been putting up with this treatment for years and he knew that as a woman it was likely ten times worse for her when it was men hounding her every step.