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44.

Though the press was mostly laying off Meg, mostly staying focused on the approaching wedding,

the harm was already done. After eighteen months of trashing her, they’d riled up all the trolls,

who were now crawling out of their cellars and lairs. Ever since we’d acknowledged that we were

a couple, we’d been flooded with racist taunts and death threats on social media. (See ya later,

race traitor!) But now the official threat level, used by Palace security to allocate personnel and

guns, had reached vertiginous heights. In pre-wedding conversations with police we learned that

we’d become the prized target for terrorists and extremists. I remembered General Dannatt saying

I was a bullet magnet, that anyone standing next to me would be unsafe. Well, I was a bullet

magnet again, but standing next to me would be the person I loved most in the world.

There’s been some reporting about the Palace deciding to instruct Meg in guerrilla warfare,

and survival tactics, in the event of a kidnapping attempt. A bestselling book describes the day

Special Forces came to our house, grabbed Meg, put her through several intense days of drills,

pushing her into back seats and car boots, speeding away to safe houses—all of which is utter

nonsense. Meg wasn’t given one minute of training. On the contrary, the Palace floated the idea of

not giving her any security at all, because I was now sixth in line to the throne. How I wished

reports about Special Forces were even partly true! How I longed to phone my mates in Special

Forces, have them come and train Meg and re-train me. Or, better yet, pitch in, protect us. For that

matter, how I wished I could send Special Forces to go and grab that tiara.

Angela still hadn’t delivered it.

Meg’s hairdresser had come in from France for the rehearsal, and the tiara still wasn’t there.

So he’d gone back.

Again, we phoned Angela. Again, nothing.

Finally, Angela appeared out of thin air at Kensington Palace. I met her in the Audience

Room.

She put before me a release, which I signed, and then she handed me the tiara.

I thanked her, though I added that it would’ve made our lives so much easier to have had it

sooner.

Her eyes were fire. She started having a go at me.

Angela, you really want to do this now? Really? Now?

She fixed me with a look that made me shiver. I could read in her face a clear warning.

This isn’t over.