Chapter 34: Palace and George’s Visit

 

Everyone looked at her and was lost in thought. It seemed plausible with the current situation of royalty in Britian. They were becoming obsolete with time and heavily relied on public opinion. They never lacked funds but still chose to open the palace to the public in the early 1990s.

For an entrance fee of £8 - with reductions for children and the elderly - tourists will be able to see the State Apartments and a priceless collection of paintings, furniture and porcelain.

The aim was to raise money to pay for repairing Windsor Castle, which had been ravaged by a fire in November 1992.

It was announced that the palace would be open to the public each August and September for five years, after which the scheme would be reviewed. But visitors were unlikely to catch a glimpse of any senior royals, as most of the family would be at Balmoral; another castle of the royalty.

Opening up the palace was the Queen's own idea, finalized after consultation with family members and the government.

The Government reckoned that 70 per cent of the £40 million cost of rebuilding Windsor Castle would be raised by the Queen's decision, coupled with the proceeds of the £3 a head charge to be imposed for entrance to the castle precincts, which had previously been free.

At the time of the announcement the exact route of the visitor tour had yet to be determined. but visitors were expected to be allowed to see the main apartments, including the throne room, the state dining room and the 155 ft (47m) long picture gallery.

They would also be able to look into the famous balcony on which newly-wed royals traditionally kiss.

The royal household hoped that about 400,000 visitors would come to Buckingham Palace, much of it designed by John Nash for George IV, during the eight weeks that it was to be open.

Within a week of tickets going on sale, all advance group booking slots to visit Buckingham Palace had been filled for the next three years.

But it was all a ruse; the most powerful monarchy, which lasted for hundreds of years, lacked money? Is this a joke? But it all worked and strengthened their position in the hierarchy.

Margaret could convince the family for it as she was also a high-ranking noble. Rothchild family could foot the bill for the previous bookings.

" Alright, please see to it. I will select the invitation for other high-profile figures. I will also send an invite to Morgan family; even though we have had our differences in the past, our relationship is fairly stable. Laura is, after all, here also; we have to introduce Samuel to his maternal side, too. I will call the family head, daughter please follow up after me and try to convince them. " Kenneth said.

Laura nodded and said, "Ok father. Don't worry about it. There is no friction between our families and I also want to tell them once and for all. I had been putting it on hold for a few months to prevent their disappointment, but--"

Robert interjected, " I don't care about such things. We have a son now, and if they can't accept it, so be it. You will always be my other-half now and forever. " Laura smiled and looked determined.

Everyone was discussing when footsteps came from the corridor to see Samuel, along with Oscar entering the living room.

Everyone welcomed him and started talking about their plans, keeping the birthday a surprise. Only talking about the party which they had to attend in a month.

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[George' POV]

A few days ago, while I was at the shoot directing the final scenes for "Gladiator"; I got a call from my mother, Patricia. It was unexpected; my parents always knew my schedule and never called me unless something urgent happened. I got worried and picked up the phone--

" Hello" I said.

" Hello, George, son, come back after the movie is done. We have something to discuss." Patricia said over the phone.

" Mother, what happened? Is is something urgent? Did something happen at home? " I blurted out several worrying questions.

" Something did happened, but it's nothing serious. Bring back Amelia if she is free; I haven't seen her since she started her agency. We will talk later in person. Take care of yourself and don't forget your meals like your father and---- " She went on and on about things to take care of and what not to do. Father is neglecting his health again. Sigh.

" Mother, I am not a child. I can take care of myself. I will come back in a few days. The movie is almost finished, but I have to delegate some tasks to the post-production team. Amelia's agency is also fairly stable; I will talk to her about visiting." I said.

I finished the call after talking for a few more minutes and sat down on a chair. Lost in thought. Mother has always been an uptight woman; she was loving and strict at the same time, but never joked about such things. If the situation was dire, she should have already told me. So it must be something else; guess I have to find out myself. I haven't been to United Kingdom for about a year.

I grabbed my phone and dialed my wife--

" Hey, honey, we have to make a trip to my home in a few days. We have a situation--no, no, nothing serious, but mother called personally-- ok you finish up work, i will order someone to book the ticket-- ok bye honey." I cut the phone again, and sighed. I was truly exhausted.

...

...

...

I arrived at the estate in the evening along with Amelia. I have already informed both Arthur and Robert about my schedule. They must be expecting our arrival. While I was in thought Amelia interrupted--

" What do you think it's all about? Could Laura be pregnant after all these years? I was very sad when we heard about the bad news a few years back, but the doctor did say that it was still possible." She said.

" I don't know. I have inquired several times, but they never gave a clear answer. It was truly bleak times when we had to see the young couple dedevised. We also housed them for a few days for their visit to the USA. It would be a miracle if it happened. " I sighed.

We were walking through the corridor discussing and entered the living room. Everyone was present except for the duo, which was a typical situation for the family. Mary and Peter were always unrestrained; one loved party life, and the other was a battle freak. Everything was the same as before, but I saw a young boy sitting beside Laura and discussing something with everyone. He was the center of the conversation.

I was puzzled by his presence; Did we have someone like this in our family? Who was he?

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