Chapter 33 #3
“What about succession? The public will demand to know what happens if there’s a gay king. There will be all sorts of uncomfortable questions we’ll have to address. Does this guy understand if you have kids, they’ll have to be genetically your children?”
Oh, holy shit. It feels like we’ve taken quite a few metaphorical leaps in a short space of time.
“We haven’t discussed that yet,” I say, feeling lightheaded.
“And you’re also going to be the head of the Church of England. Correct me if I’m wrong, but their current position is that marriage is between a man and a woman, and clergy are forbidden to perform same-sex marriages.”
“There’s been lots of backlash over that recently, and some senior bishops have been calling for change,” Maudie says. “They’ve recently apologized for the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in the past. It’s an evolving situation. By the time Callum takes the throne, it might be a non-issue.”
“What about the Commonwealth? He’ll have to visit countries where sex between two men is illegal. It’s still punishable by the death penalty in some of them!”
“Once again, things are changing,” Maudie soothes. “Progress is being made. Who knows what it will be like by the time it becomes a factor.”
“You don’t think the heir to the throne being in a gay relationship will trigger some of these countries to leave the Commonwealth? It’s bad enough he’s American.”
I flinch, but Raymond is still in full rant mode as he turns to me. “Is this guy ready to be in the spotlight? You know what it’s like, the new partners of any members of the royal family are picked apart by the media. It’s unavoidable. It’ll be even worse if it’s a man.”
“He’s already used to being in the spotlight,” I say.
Raymond freezes.
“What do you mean he’s used to being in a spotlight?”
“Ah…he has a job that means he’s currently in the spotlight.”
Raymond’s eyes bore straight into me. “Who is it?”
His mustache curls up at both ends like it’s dreading the answer.
I take a deep breath. “It’s Oliver Hartwell.”
Raymond’s mustache goes limp, lifeless.
My gaze flicks to Maudie, but she appears equally flummoxed.
I’ve never understood how silence can be deafening, but I get it now. The silence around this table thunders in my ear canals, making me feel like I’ll never hear sound again.
It doesn’t seem like an ideal time to share this realization with anyone though.
“What? How? How the fuck did this happen?” Raymond’s eyes are wild.
“Okay, so you with Oliver Hartwell is a completely different proposition,” Maudie says slowly.
Raymond rounds on her. “What do you mean, it’s a completely different proposition?
That’s the fucking understatement of the century!
It’s a nightmare of epic proportions, that’s what it is!
No, it’s beyond a nightmare. No one’s imagination could actually conjure up this scenario.
I thought I’d considered all the worst-case scenarios for the royal family, but I never came up with this! ”
“Oliver is popular with the British public,” I say.
Raymond glares at me like I’m the worst thing ever invented.
“The British royal family managed to survive when so many of the other European royal houses fell by being completely apolitical. Now, at this crucial period for the monarchy, when nearly one hundred thousand people have already signed a petition for a referendum on the monarchy, we’ve got the Prince of Wales fucking the prime minister.
I’d say most of the British public will not believe you’re politically neutral when you’re screwing the prime minister!
“And Conservative voters are far more likely to support the monarchy than Labour voters. So by being with the Labour prime minister, you’re going to alienate the monarchy’s most stalwart supporters!”
His breathing is coming in shallow pants now.
“You realize that since Charles I lost his head after the civil war, the role of the British monarchy has been to represent the whole country and stay far away from the nitty-gritty of politics. The separation of powers between the monarchy and government is essential to the successful running of the country, but apparently, you’ve decided that what your dick wants is more important than the constitutional monarchy that sixty-seven million people depend on! ”
“Does Her Majesty know?” Maudie interrupts Raymond’s rant.
My stomach falls away. “No.”
Raymond stands abruptly. “We need to talk to her now. I’ll ring her private secretary.”
He grabs his phone as my stomach clenches into a tight ball.
“Hi, Clive, it’s Raymond. We’ve got a situation here. Can we arrange a meeting with the Queen as soon as possible? No, it’s not about the Albert interview. It’s something else. Worse.” Raymond’s eyes slide to mine, then away like he can’t bear to look at me. “Tell her it’s an emergency.”
My stomach hollows.
I’ve tried to convince myself that perhaps Oliver and I together isn’t that big of a deal. After all, we live in a Western democracy where people are free to be with whomever they choose.
It’s the part of my brain that still looks at a rainbow and wants to believe there are leprechauns frolicking in pots of gold at the end of it.
Because it’s becoming very obvious from Raymond’s and Maudie’s reactions that this is a very big deal.