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“When did you find out that they had rekindled their relationship?”
“The day I discovered I was pregnant. It was a tragedy, really, the way it played out—for all of us. I was over the moon about the baby, of course—Alexander and I had been trying for an heir since our wedding, and by then, I was starting to worry that perhaps something was wrong with me. He’d grown a bit distant, and I thought it was my fault. He had a great deal of pressure on him, after all, being King at such a young age, and my inability to give him an heir…well, I was convinced I was only making things worse.”
“What happened that day?”
“I was pleased and relieved—and frightened, admittedly. We were still young, but I loved him so very much. All I wanted was to make him happy.” [pause] “I took the test that morning, and it was that evening that he…he asked to speak with me alone. He’d been out all day—working, I thought—but…that was when he told me he was still in love with her. With Laura. And that they’d been seeing each other again for months by that point, and she…” [pause] “She was pregnant. And he wanted to abdicate to be with her and their child. It was the most devastating moment of my life.”
“And that was when you told him about Princess Mary?”
[nods] “As I said, it was a tragedy for us all. He finally had a chance at the happiness he so desperately wanted with Laura, but when I told him I was pregnant, too…well, that changed things, didn’t it? He couldn’t leave me then, not when it also meant leaving his heir. And I couldn’t let him go. We’ll both have to live with that moment for the rest of our lives, and I don’t think either of us will ever fully recover.”
“Did you love His Majesty when you married him?”
“Yes. I think so. As much as I could, given we didn’t know each other very well.”
“And did he love you?”
“He was fond of me, and I truly believe that he very much wanted to love me and had convinced himself that he would, in time. I was so certain that our love would grow, too, and it did—for me. I spent the best years of my life loving him. But now that I know the real truth of it, I know it was all a lie. Not just for me, though. Alexander also lied to himself, and we’ve both had to live with the consequences.”
“And what were those consequences?”
“For him, a double life—a mirror life he could never truly have. A child—a daughter, Evangeline—he could only watch from a distance. They did meet a number of times when she was very young. Alexander and Laura spent some holidays together, playing family, but in the end, he always came home to me and Mary. And I could see it eating away at him, bit by bit, right before my eyes.”
“And for you?”
“Well, that’s rather obvious, isn’t it? I had the love of the people, the love of my country, but never the love of my husband. And it’s a very difficult thing, not being loved by the person who ought to love you most.”
“Do you resent him?”
“No. How could I? Even to this day, I still love him—and in a way, he does love me, but it’s not the kind of love I needed, then or now. It wasn’t his fault, though. His father died, and everything rather snowballed from there.”
“Do you believe that your lives would’ve been different if Edward IX had lived longer?”
“Certainly. If he had, Nicholas would’ve been old enough to take the throne instead. That was what Alexander was waiting for—time to prepare his brother, the spare, for the role of the heir instead. Alexander has made many mistakes, but he’s always put his family first. He would’ve never walked away without being certain that Nicholas was ready to lead the institution—the country and Commonwealth—without him.”
“During the time after Princess Mary was born, when you knew Alexander was leading a double life…did that draw you and the Duke of York closer together?”
“No. By then, he had his own wife and son, and he was far too busy with his military career to bother with me. Don’t get me wrong—he was considerate, of course. He checked in on me occasionally, as did all members of the family who knew about Laura and Evangeline. But we didn’t grow closer until recently.”
“When Evangeline joined the family?”
“Yes. By then, my marriage was over—had been over for years. Alexander and I are still friends. We’ll always be friends, and we both take our duties to our country very seriously. But we decided many years ago that when our daughter turned eighteen, we would quietly separate. And we did.”
“And is that when you and the Duke of York started seeing one another?”
“Yes. The stress of having Evangeline at Windsor Castle…well, it’s no secret she struggled for several weeks after she arrived, between her identity being leaked and all that the Cunningham boy did to her. As a family, we were there for her, of course, but…it was difficult for us all, facing our new reality while the public sifted through the intimate details of our lives.”
“How did your relationship with Prince Nicholas begin?”
“Innocently. Reluctantly. We both love Alexander, and neither of us wanted to hurt him. But he’s known from the beginning, and he’s been very supportive of us—very supportive of our happiness, as Nicholas and I’ve been supportive of his renewed relationship with Laura.”
“The rumours are true, then?”
“Of Alexander and Laura being together again? Yes, I’d say so. She joined us at Sandringham for Christmas, and in truth, I’ve never seen Alexander happier. It’s as if the weight of the past twenty years has gone.”
“Do you resent her?”
[soft laughter] “Well…no, not really, though I’ve certainly had some difficult days. I think she made some poor choices, as did Alexander—choices that are ultimately inexcusable. But she’s also faced a great deal of hardship in her life, and in the end, I’m truly happy to see her overcome it all. I’m truly happy for them both.”
