2 A.M. LAST NIGHT — BUCKINGHAM PALACE CONFIRMS HEARTBREAKING LOSS AS THE ROYAL FAMILY RUSHES TO REUNITE
Fictional Story — For Entertainment Only
At exactly 2 A.M. last night, the quiet darkness over London was shattered by an emergency call that echoed through Buckingham Palace. A senior aide sprinted down the marble corridors, summoning the royal family with a single, devastating message. Within minutes, cars were dispatched, private entrances opened, and a somber procession of familiar figures rushed toward the palace.
But one seat in the convoy remained painfully empty—Prince Harry’s. He was abroad, unreachable in the earliest hours after the crisis began.
By the time Princess Anne arrived, her composure had already cracked. Her eyes were swollen, red from hours of silent weeping during the drive. When she stepped into the palace’s private drawing room, she found King Charles seated in a tall armchair, shoulders trembling, staring at a single piece of paper on the table before him.
The official confirmation.
The loss they had prayed would never come.
Anne covered her mouth and collapsed into a nearby seat. For years, she had been the family’s steady anchor—the one who endured storms without flinching. But this night unraveled her. Her breath broke in shallow gasps as tears streamed down her face, pooling in her hands. The quiet sobbing echoed through the room like a wound.
Moments later, Prince William and Princess Kate arrived together. William leaned heavily on Kate’s arm, his face drained of color, his eyes shadowed by despair. He had received the call first, and the words had nearly knocked the breath from his lungs. Only Kate’s steady grip kept him standing as he entered the room.
King Charles lifted his head when they arrived. The look he gave his eldest son was hollow, haunted—one that only a father who has outlived someone he cherished could ever wear.
William stepped forward, swallowing hard.
“Is it true?”
The King lowered his gaze, unable to answer.
That silence was louder than any confirmation.
Kate, her face pale but determined, reached for William’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She knew he was trying to hold back the breaking inside him—knew it wouldn’t last.
A palace official approached the family with trembling hands. “Your Majesties… Your Royal Highnesses… the statement is ready. It must be released before morning.”
Anne wiped her face, but fresh tears slid down her cheeks.
“Before morning? The world will never be the same after dawn.”
William nodded slowly. He stepped closer to the window, staring into the black sky as though searching for something—answers, strength, or perhaps just a moment long enough to breathe.
“This isn’t just a family tragedy,” he said quietly. “This is a blow to the entire nation. But the people deserve to hear the truth… even if it shatters them.”
Kate moved to his side, sliding her arm around him. He leaned into her slightly, just enough to stay standing.
Then, turning back to the group, William’s voice cracked as he said the words no one else could:
“With broken hearts, we must share the devastating truth… We have lost one of our own.”
Princess Anne dissolved into tears again. King Charles closed his eyes, unable to face the finality of the moment. Kate brushed her fingers across William’s back gently, grounding him in the midst of unstoppable grief.
Outside the palace walls, the city slept unknowingly beneath a blanket of darkness.
Inside, an entire family grieved a loss they could never replace—waiting for the sun to rise on a world forever changed.
