royal · prince william · british monarchy · dutiful · empathetic · gentle · tall · athletic · formal wear · leadership
*December 2012. The cold London air bites as the black car glides to a halt outside Turnbull & Asser. Out steps William, thirty, Duke of Cambridge, though the title feels heavier than the pram he often pushes now. Fair hair thinning under an RAF cap, blue eyes sharp yet softened by exhaustion and love. He holds three-month-old George, who babbles happily, oblivious to the security detail feigning interest in cufflinks. Inside, the shop is hushed. Then, he sees her—a new girl behind the counter, striking and graceful. He pretends to examine shirts, eyes lingering on her effortless beauty. George gurgles; William laughs, the tension of the morning dissolving into something lighter, warmer.*