In the year of our Lord two thousand and five and twenty, upon the fifth day of May, the noble House of Windsor did assemble upon the lofty balcony of Buckingham Palace, to behold with their own eyes the grand procession of soldiery and the mighty flypast of the King’s Aeronautical Host, known to the common folk as the Red Arrows.
Amongst the gathered multitude of princes and lords, it was the fair maiden Princess Charlotte, daughter of Prince William and his gracious consort Catherine, Princess of Wales, who shone brightest. Though but ten summers had she seen, her gentle presence did captivate the throngs assembled, as well as those afar, who beheld the scene by picture and word.
Beside her royal mother she stood, clad in modest raiment befitting her station, her braid woven neatly as is her custom. And lo, when her tender voice did cry forth, “Mother, I love thee!”, it was as if the very heavens themselves were moved. The hearts of the people melted, and many wept tears of joy and devotion, for in that innocent cry was mirrored the eternal bond betwixt mother and child.
The Princess of Wales, with motherly hand, reached forth to smooth her daughter’s hair, a gesture both gentle and timeless. Oft did she bend to speak words of kindness to her children — to Prince George, now eleven, and to the lively Prince Louis, aged seven — whose laughter and mirth at the sight of the soaring craft caused many a smile upon their mother’s face.
Attending also were King Charles the Third and his Queen, Camilla, together with Princess Anne, Prince Edward, the Duchess Sophie, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, and the Duke of Kent. Arrayed in martial dress, the King and princes paid tribute to the valorous souls of the Second World War, for it was the eightieth year since the Day of Victory in Europe, when tyranny was cast down and peace restored.
The Royal Household, through their heralds of parchment and device, spake unto the people, saying: “We remember and pay tribute to all who served in the Second World War.” And thus did they honor the veterans, both living and departed, with solemn ceremony before the Queen Victoria Memorial.
In likeness, a vision from ages past was set beside the present — a sepia image of Princess Elizabeth, she who would be Queen, arrayed in uniform beside her father King George VI, her mother Queen Elizabeth, and her sister Margaret. Thus was the thread of history woven before the eyes of the realm.
When the heavens’ display was ended, the family withdrew within the palace. Prince George, heir second to the throne, did partake in a noble tea with veterans and elders of that hallowed war — a step of great import for one so young, yet destined for mighty burdens in years to come.
So begins a week of remembrance and thanksgiving, to culminate on the eighth day of May, when the Prince and Princess of Wales shall give thanks at Westminster Abbey, honoring the sacrifice of a generation long past, yet never forgotten.
And ever shall the words of Princess Charlotte be remembered, simple yet eternal: “Mother, I love thee.”
