Honourable Mention: A Christmas to Remember

Shanyce Morris

December 22, 2009 — This is a tale about Christmas. It will make us all think about the true meaning of Christmas. Catherine lived in the beautiful Buckingham Palace filled with marble floors and diamonds. Catherine had brown hair and sparkly green eyes. Catherine's personality was sweet and caring but she was spoiled.

It was 1829 in London, England, a time when there were peasants who served royalty and cars were carriages.

The Queen of England was Maria Lousia of Soxe-Couburg and the King was Edward Duke of Kent.

Catherine was their princess. Her mother was nice but inattentive whereas her father was loving but strict.

Catherine wrote a letter to her father which read:

Dear Father, tomorrow we depart to Bermuda so mother and I can start the Sunshine League, which we hope will be a place where needy children will be able to stay. We will return to England after the programme has started. While we are there we will inhabit St. Hamilton castle. Mother and I miss you dearly and will see you when you arrive in Bermuda.

Yours truly, Catherine Victoria Elizabeth.

Catherine yawned loudly and called for her dressing maid. In a flash Alexandria appeared. Alexandria wore her black hair in a bun, emphasising her black eyes.

"Yes princess," Alexandria answered politely.

"I am ready to retire. I will need to be put into my nightgown at once", Catherine said profoundly.

Alexandria ran quickly in the closet as she was aware that slow maids could be thrown out of the castle for making royalty wait. Her Mother has had 15 dressing maids in one month!

Catherine snuggled into her pillow and dreamed about Bermuda. The next morning Catherine and her Mother dressed in their best attire, headed for Bermuda. It would be a long, strenuous journey through the rough English Channel in the Maria Lousia. It took ten days to finally reach Hamilton, Bermuda.

"Mother it's… so different from London," Catherine said not wanting to disrespect the Island. Catherine and her Mother got into a horse and buggy and headed for their new palace.

"Yes dear it is," her Mother replied looking at the various buildings.

"Queen Louisa we are here at St. Hamilton castle," the horse and buggy driver announced.

"Finally the moment I've been waiting for," Catherine thought as the footmen opened the huge doors to the castle.

The castle was breathtaking. It had marble floors and shining chandeliers. There was also a velvet line spiral staircase that went up to countless numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms. Catherine walked up the staircase and entered her amazing bedroom. The walls were lilac (Catherine's favourite colour) with puffy velvet curtains covering the windows. A huge white armoire stood next to a small mahogany table decorated with a silk tablecloth. Her poster bed was the best part of the room. It was gorgeous with silk covers and paisley pillows. Catherine sat down in the cushioned chair and sighed thinking "I absolutely adore my room."

A few months passed and before long, it was three weeks until Christmas. Catherine and her Mother had already opened the Sunshine League that was a huge success having made ten children very happy. Everything was going swell until one horrid night. Catherine was walking down the long corridor to her bedroom when she heard a low sob.

She poked her head through her Mother's bedroom door and found her Mother on her knees next to the couch crying her eyes out. Catherine tentatively walked into the room afraid to upset her Mother by being curious.

"Mother whatever is the matter?" Catherine whispered sympathetically.

"Oh Catherine, I have to speak to you," her Mother replied using a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

"Dear, how do you like it here in Bermuda?" her Mother asked as they sat together.

"It is wonderful, I adore it here," Catherine replied with a small smile.

"Well that's very good. Dear you remember that your father is in Australia for a royal conference, right?" her Mother asked.

Catherine nodded slowly not really understanding the question. "Well he has become severely ill and must stay there until he recovers and is well enough to travel."

"That's all," Catherine said laughing. "I hope father gets better soon."

"Well dear, that's not all," her Mother said and Catherine's laugh abruptly stopped. "Dear you remember that your father was sending us money every month to pay for our expenses. Well since he is ill and had to pay for his bills to get into a hospital in Australia, he spent all that he had with him. Unfortunately, our cousin, the Duke of Poland, has stolen everything we own, including the Throne. So that means we are no longer in power. The Duke of Poland and his family have taken over England. The Duke convinced the government that we died at sea while travelling to Bermuda. He was next in line for the Throne. We are no longer Royalty and we have no money."

"I beg your pardon," Catherine said trying to make her voice sound calm.

"We have no money left!" her Mother exclaimed. "We must leave the castle at once since we can no longer afford to live here. Catherine I am truly sorry but you must start packing your bags. You can take a few frocks and one pair of footwear."

Catherine left her Mother's room and wept in the corridor.

Catherine and her Mother were out of the castle next week. As they rode in a horse and buggy to their new house, a small cottage in St. Georges, they just sat there with their faces blank. The cottage was banana yellow with white shutters. It was so small that it only had space for a kitchen, two small bedrooms, one tiny sitting room and one bathroom. Catherine and her Mother walked into the new house and Catherine's Mother said: "Catherine why don't you go and settle into your new bedroom?"

Catherine walked slowly down the hall to her bedroom. Once Catherine was in her room she inspected it. It had a small table, a closet and a small wooden bed. Catherine unpacked and was about to yell for Alexandria but then she remembered that she would have to dress herself. Catherine crawled into bed and tried to imagine that she was in the castle.

A week later Catherine and her Mother were eating breakfast on Saturday. Catherine was writing her Christmas wish list. It read: 1. Another reading book 2. A frock 3. A quill pen.

"Catherine what are you writing?" her Mother asked.

"My Christmas list," Catherine answered nonchalantly.

"Dear we have to save money so we will not exchange gifts this year."

"I beg your pardon", Catherine yelled indignantly. "Mother you know that gifts are critical for Christmas. You have a job now so we could afford a few small gifts."

"Catherine Victoria Elizabeth I have never heard such utter nonsense in all my life. As a seamstress I earn a pittance (6 shillings a week) which is just enough for necessities not gifts," Catherine's Mother replied.

"Fine, if you need me I'll be in my bedroom," Catherine muttered.

Catherine began reading while lying on her bed, and got mesmerised by the chapter she was on. It was like the chapter was about her! It was talking about how the mother in the story couldn't afford gifts for Christmas. Instead the mother got her a letter that talked about how the best Christmas present in the world was family love.

After finishing her book Catherine started to reminisce of her past Christmases. She remembered how happy she was with her Mother. Sadly her Father was never home for Christmas. Since her Mother was with her for Christmas as usual, somehow things will work out.

Catherine walked into the sitting room and saw her Mother reading.

Catherine said: "Mother I am so sorry. I just realised that the best gift that I could ever get is love from my family and I already have that."

"Oh Catherine, that is wonderful," her Mother cried.

They had a great Christmas. The family enjoyed Bermudian style codfish and Christmas pudding for dinner. As they were about to open homemade gifts someone knocked on the door.

"Father!" Catherine screamed as her father came through the door. Catherine was so excited and wrote her parents a letter of appreciation for loving her.

Catherine's family finally got back to England to prove that they were alive. When they got back Catherine's parents decided to step down from the Throne. Catherine Victoria Elizabeth became a young Queen. During her reign she told great stories about her time in at St. Hamilton castle (which is now Fort St. Hamilton). She always reminded her country that love is the best Christmas present that anyone can give. The End

Originally published in The Royal Gazette