by Luca Signorelli and Miriam Colaleo
His Royal Highness Edward Mountbatten Windsor, Lord of Kent, Earl of Downpatrick, is married to Lady Sara, Duchess of Salsbury, born at Syracuse. The wedding will be held at St George’s Church on March 12 and the reception at Buckingham Palace. Required Clothing: Uniform or suit with hat. Groomsmen: William and Kate. From the Bride: Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank. The invitation was indeed delivered to some of the bride’s relatives in Syracuse, complete with a program of celebrations and two websites to find out more about the new royal couple. Stunned, the Syracusan relatives turn to SiracusaNews, happy about this “royal wedding”, also because – as stated on the special website – “there is a new lady at Buckingham Palace”. Well: Sara is a made up name, the premise and the rest of the story actually happened. The bottom line… well, just consider that we now call the story: “Fake Princess”.
The invitation. Coated paper, gilding, elegant handwriting and a crown on his head. The festive program included dancing until midnight, when “the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, facing each other, start the wonderful fireworks with a shower of roses”, at the end of which the wedding cake is served, then thanks. It is forbidden to bring cell phones and cameras, tablets and video cameras.
Video. The two sent a video to relatives from Syracuse telling their story of how they met. In short, Edward introduces himself to the princess-to-be’s family. And with a strange tone of voice. He doesn’t look like an Englishman trying to speak Italian, but like an Italian pretending to have an English intonation. Indeed, the Syracuse family believes so somewhat, but the grimace of disappointment is evident. Aside from the fact that almost none of them can travel to London for the wedding, there is not enough economic stability to afford travel and accommodation, and the lady-to-be does not relate to hospitality. Almost everyone intends to decline the invitation while congratulating her. Someone wants to go there instead. There is no mention of the gifts. But what do you want to give a duchess?
The websites. Two for each of the “spouse”. Born in Syracuse, she was diagnosed at the age of 7 with a degenerative and disabling genetic disease that caused her to lose her eyesight. And it’s true. Then we talk about volunteering, going to university in northern Italy, moving to London, meeting Edward at a private clinic (where she is an intern) and tending the stables. And then the passions, the accolades, meeting Queen Elizabeth who confers on her the title of Dame and the honor of the Dame Grand Cross. And lots of photos. Edward is instead a member of the British Royal Family and a relative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as his great-grandfather, Prince George Edward Windsor, was one of the brothers of King George VI, the sovereign’s father. And so with childhood stories, playing and studying with William and Harry, personal life and passions. And a family photo: Because the two had initiated the adoption process for three children asked for foster parents. They call the three little ones, who would have added an orphaned Ukrainian girl, Mama and Papa.
The contradictions. “The great-grandfather was one of King George VI’s brothers.” This is enough to confirm from the family tree that Edward is not directly related to the Queen. There is indeed an Edward, Earl of Wessex, but he is Queen Elizabeth’s fourth son and younger brother to Charles. Nor does it correspond to the lineage of King George VI’s brothers. Edward Mountbatten Windsor, Lord of Kent, Earl of Downpatrick is not there. And the real photo with the kids…
The Union. This photo. We find it on a cultural association’s Facebook page for entertainment on a set organized on behalf of an alleged “English noble association”. But the children’s names don’t match those on the princess’ website. And Edward is missed too. But on closer inspection… there is another name. And if we browse the pages of the association that created the photoset, which deals with “borrowing” artists, we find what we are looking for. He is an actor and set designer, also excellent. And the children would be extras hired for half a day. There are no orphans and none of them have ever been to Ukraine.
The bride. We make contact with the future Duchess, the first time in case of doubt. It tells of the love story that began in 2017 with a visit to the Wimbledon stables, of the preparations, of the anticipation of the big day. “Sara” says she’s reluctant to testify – “I’m not authorized by the Palazzo” – but then unbuttons herself: afternoon tea with Cousin Eugenia, her best man, and Christmas with “Aunt Elisabetta” (“sa , in Family, we don’t use titles: for me it was always Aunt Elisabetta and Uncle Carlo”). We want to know if the “reserve” that Prince Harry has been discussing a lot these days will be there. “We didn’t invite him because we don’t like each other as people.”
The British Royal Association. Our search continues in all directions, we try to get in touch with the artists’ association, which – apparently ignorant of everything – does not make any statements, but tells us that they have taken care of the search for actors and the upcoming photo shoot served to renew the catalog of the British Royal Association, whose President (whose name we do not know) is not interested in commenting. But we can’t find any British royal associations.
The fake duchess. Let’s listen to “Sara”, this time with open cards. We tell her what we know and ask her very clearly the reason for the deception. She insists, tells us everything is true, that she is getting married, that she lives in London (as far as we know, she lives in Italy). We ask them why there is no Edward Mountbatten Windsor in the House of Lords when researching, why the title “Earl of Downpatrick” corresponds to a different person and why the photo with the children is from a photo studio. The answers are vague, sometimes contradictory, but he keeps repeating, “it’s all true.” In March she will be Edward’s wife and she will say yes, right in Windsor.
The Duke. Eventually we manage to get in touch with Edward Lord of Kent, Earl of Downpatrick and Duke of Glouchestershire, whom we will simply call Leonardo (fantasy name). “You know he’s getting married in March?” he laughs, then gets serious, “sorry, in what sense?”. The man, as we have already told you, is an actor and set designer. Featured in several period and war films. When we ask him about “Sara” he openly admits that he worked there and met her twice: once to record a video presentation of the “lady” and once to take a “family” photo with the 4 “adopted” to children: “All I knew was that we had to do a job for a British Royal Association for a historical retelling, “Sara” needed someone to introduce her character. He also told me that we should meet again to take photos in the wedding dress. Other than that, I don’t know anything else.”
The Duchess’ cousin. We are at the end of the saga. We are contacted by an alleged cousin of “Sara” on the same phone number as the self-proclaimed Duchess. He explains again, as if it were necessary for the story to be true, very true in fact. That whoever questions it is just jealous. We let Sara pass us (although it sounds like the same voice to us) and the usual dirge begins again: It’s true, she’s going to get married, in Syracuse her relatives are just jealous because she left The Sleeping Beauty, as they called her, a real princess, complete with titles and tiara. But I will change the location at this point. And his guests from Syracuse are no longer invited. You are not worth attending.
And it doesn’t end there. ‘Sleeping Beauty, the one who was always in the books’ has her redemption complete with a website announcing the new lady at Buckingham Palace who can afford to ‘aunt’ the one who was one of the most powerful women on the planet to call. Perhaps this story, which we have tried to summarize in a few passages, is all here. A story worthy of a TV series, a woman from Syracuse going through a difficult history who finds love in London and finally discovers that she has fallen in love with a member of the royal family. Better than Notting Hill and Pretty Princess. A story that turns out to be a bubble, a magic, perhaps invented to impress loved ones, often underestimated, perhaps to create a parallel reality more beautiful than everyday life. Maybe a marketing campaign or just a joke. We’ll never know. Duchess Sara was only unable to give a convincing answer to one question: What would have happened if the relatives had packed their bags excited about a royal wedding and presented themselves in Windsor on that day in March?
Luca Signorelli and Miriam Colaleo