Diana's Daughter: Princess Alice

Two months. It had been two months since the death of the Princess of Wales. Her children struggled daily with the loss of their mum. Princess Alice would cry every night in her pillow, longing for her mother to hold her one last time. The Royal Family was faced with a challenge themselves; the imposing press on the children. No matter how hard they tried, the press would not leave Diana's children alone. With Alice starting school, William leaving to go back to Eton, and Harry going to Ludgrove, Charles decided that he would take his children to the one place he could escape; Botswana, Africa. It had certain areas that was exclusive and isolated, making it easier to find peace away from the hectic life of being a royal.

It was a rainy Monday in England at the Beaufort Hunt. Groups of men abroad their horses, chased after the foxes with the hunting dogs alongside them. Alice, Harry, and William sat nearby under a tent watching the competitive hunt. It seemed to match her mood lately, sad and gloomy. It had been only a few weeks since their mother was buried.

To try and cheer them up, their beloved nanny "Tiggy" decided to bring them along to the hunt. She had been the constant anchor in the young princess's life, making sure she could still find joy somewhere. Even though she was only five years old, she was mature for her age, having to deal with things that no other child had to go through. Her older brothers were overly protective of their little sister, even more now that their mother was gone. It seemed as though she had become more fragile to them, a baby needing tender love.

As she looked at the horses trotting Alice spoke, "What am I going to do when the both of you leave me?" Losing her mum, made Alice more afraid of when her brothers had to go back to school.

William took his sister in his arms, locking her in a tight hug. "Ally, we're not going anywhere. Just because we have to go back to school soon, that doesn't mean anything. I'm only one phone call away, and you'll have Pa and our cousins," he promised.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah Al, we're always here no matter what." William pulled Harry into the hug also, making a vow to himself---- to always protect his siblings.

Tiggy stroked the little girl's hair, bringing her comfort. "You'll always have me. I'll make it so you'll be able to talk to your brothers everyday when they are away at school. Tomorrow, we can even go horseback riding along your favorite trail ride," she said knowing how much Alice loved horses. She had been noticing the princess being quiet and down lately.

"Alright, that makes me feel a lot better. I'll miss you both so much," Alice whispered. The last few days had brought the siblings even closer and she didn't want them to go.

"We'll miss you to," both of the boys replied. Leaving their sister is the last thing they wanted to do. With the media attention on them all the time, it seemed difficult to have even the smallest amount of privacy and they wanted to protect their sister from all of it.

As Charles rode on the hunt alongside his friends, he made the final decision to take his children along with him to an engagement in Africa. No matter how hard he tried to prevent it, the media continued to pester him and the children. William, Harry, and Alice were already suffering with grief and this would be a good thing for them. It still came as a shock to him, that his ex-wife was gone. The best way for him to deal with it, would be getting away. After dismounting, and giving his horse to the groom, Charles walked over to his children who were playing in the field. Once they caught sight of their father, they ran up to him giving him a tight hug.

He sat down beside them on the ground and said, "So I've been doing some thinking lately, and decided we're all going to Botswana for the next two weeks. With everything that has been going on, I think it'll be good for all of us. You haven't seen beauty until you've seen the rolling plains of Africa." So after arranging the plans through the palace, and getting the approval from the Queen, the Prince of Wales, his three children, and a few staff where off to Botswana, Africa for the next two weeks.

Alice glanced out the window of the plane to watch the white cotton of clouds pass by her window. Her eyes wide, taking in all of the African beauty. From the wide plains to all the wild animals roaming free. Alice smiled thinking about how her mother would have loved to come here with her. She felt like she had a whole new place to explore outside of the palace walls. She cringed briefly at the memory of her mother's coffin, saddening the small child with the fact of her mother not being here to share this experience. But she was comforted with the presence of her family beside her. The princess was then lulled to sleep by the classical music playing from her walkman.

Hours later, she was jolted awake by a hand on her shoulder shaking her gently. She opened her eyes to stare into those of her brother, Prince Harry. "We're getting ready to land, Al." She nodded before wiping her hands with the backs of her hands and stretching. She proceeded to looking out the window again, excited to finally be in Africa.

"Look Ally there is a baby giraffe," Wills said pointing as the plane lowered. He was completely relaxed now that he was away from the pitiful eyes of everyone around him. The prince was excited to just spend the precious time he had with his siblings before he had to go back to Eton.

"I see it! Look at their long tongues," she exclaimed. "I just want to see the lions!" Harry was practically bouncing with excitement.

Charles was definitely happy that he had decided to bring his children along. It was the happiest he had seen them in so long. He could see that each of them was leaning on each other for support. After driving through the dry terrain that South Africa had to offer, she could finally see the mountains of Botswana. The black SUV carrying everyone pulled to a stop, the P.O. officers got out and scanned the area, making sure the coast is clear. He pushed the door open and walked out in front of the car, with his children following behind him. The group made their way up to the extravagant village house, where they'd be staying for the next two weeks.

Upon hearing the movement outside, the door opened to reveal a tall dark skinned man with a wide smile and bright eyes. "Your Royal Highnesses, welcome to the Botswana Meno a Kwena tented bush camp. I hope everything is perfect for you, and if there are any questions don't be afraid to ask." He bowed his head respectfully and left through the back gates.

Charles turned to his children and said, "Alright you may now go and choose any room you want."

That was the only thing that needed to be said, as the children raced up the golden staircase on the mansion. The incredible camp is filled with curios from the golden age of exploration. Pinned insect samples, antique maps, rickety globes, teak furniture, and burnished leather chairs accent the tents. A ceiling over the main dining table is made from little more than draped parachute silk. There's an outdoor kitchen where yeasty bread is freshly-baked all day long. Daybeds, oriental rugs, and chintz pillows lend themselves to long and lazy naps. The royal family could see wildlife animals up close, thanks to the exclusive camp set up for them.

"I call the biggest room!" screamed Harry as he raced upstairs. The energetic boy always wanted the biggest room no matter where they went.

"No! I call the room with big window!" Alice exclaimed. Her little legs flew past her brothers as she found the room. William calmly chose the room at the end of the hall, deciding that he wanted his own space away from his youngest siblings. It was decided that Tiggy and Alice would share the east end room, that had an incredible view of the lions and zebras running across the African plains. Harry had his own room that was connected to his father.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------After freshening up, Charles decided to take his children out on a safari so that they could see what Africa had to offer. Harry seemed to be in a bad mood, and didn't want to talk to anybody. As they were riding through the plains of Africa, the tour guide began telling the family different facts. Alice gazed around in amazement. Her little heart felt at home, here in the African paradise.

"Why did you make us walk behind mummy's casket?" Harry questioned his father all of a sudden. His face was screwed up in anger and frustration. His emotions had finally boiled over after holding so much in.

Charles turned in shock to look at his son. When the government was planning the funeral, it was agreed that the children should walk behind the casket. He knew it would be a lot on the children but he thought it was for the best.

"Because it is your duty. You are apart of this family's firm and it was needed to be done!" Charles replied.

"Well maybe I don't want any duty!" he exclaimed. Jumping out the safari car, Harry ran out to the edge of the cliff. Alice wanting to be with her brother, hurriedly jumped from the car and followed him.

"Harry and Alice get back here!" their father called to them. But he was ignored. Both of the children were just grieving for their mother and wanted to be alone. William shook his head as jumped out of the car, and caught up with his siblings. After finding them sitting on the edge of the cliff with Alice's head resting on Harry's shoulder, he sat beside them.

"Harry listen to me. The only reason father made us walk is because he thought he was doing the right thing. He didn't have a choice in the end," the oldest of the Wales children whispered.

Harry shook his head. "It doesn't matter anymore. Mummy is not here and I don't care." He finally started to cry. William rubbed his shoulder, knowing the pain he was going through.

Alice started to cry also. But then she got angry that her mum was gone. "I just want mummy. But she not coming back!" As she began to stand up and walk away, William spotted a huge lion making her way toward them. They all froze scared and unsure what to do.

"Don't make any sounds, and don't move," William warned, knowing any sudden movements would have them killed in seconds. But instead of attacking the lion simply looked at them for a long second. Alice's blue eyes locked with the golden eyes of the lions. After a moment the lion backed away and ran.

"That was mummy," she said. "She was letting us know everything is okay." The children all looked at each other and felt like it was true. It was like something had moved through them and knew everything was going to be okay.

Eventually Charles and Tiggy found the children all laying together on the grass looking at the sky. There was mistakes made along the way but he knew they'd all be alright. During the two weeks in Botswana, William, Harry, and Alice played with African wildlife, swam in the beautiful lakes, and spent hours under the African skies. Their bond strengthened, that would last decades. Getting away from all the chaos was exactly what they needed. This trip would lead to Alice and Harry's deep love for Africa, bringing them back many times in the years to come.