Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

The church is not large; it is a stone building constructed in the 16th century and is nestled deep in the woods of the estate.

The service lasted an hour, with the choir's voices echoing under the dome and the bass notes of the organ making one's chest tremble slightly.

The pastor's sermon mentioned light, hope, and peace, and people who light candles in the darkness. In short, it was the same old rhetoric, nothing new, but it was steady and reliable.

After the service, the family walked back to the estate.

The Christmas dinner started promptly at 1 p.m.

Inside the restaurant, a huge long table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth and adorned with fresh holly wreaths.

Each seat has a card with the name printed on it, next to a complete set of silver cutlery—from spoons to forks, from main course knife to dessert spoon, nothing is missing.

They changed their clothes before eating.

At the head table, Elizabeth sat in the center, with Prince Philip to her right and Charles to her left.

Henry was placed next to Diana—at his mother's request, who said she hadn't seen her son in so long and wanted to give him a good look.

The first course is lobster or shrimp salad.

Silver trays were brought out by servants, one for each person, and the plating was so exquisite that it resembled a work of art.

William leaned over and stared wide-eyed at the whole lobster on Henry's plate.

"Henry, your..."

"Eat your own food," Diana said without turning her head.

William pulled his head back and muttered something under his breath.

The second course was the main course – roast turkey with chestnut filling, roast ham, roast potatoes, parsnip puree, and Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts.

The turkey was prepared in the kitchen three days in advance, stuffed with chestnuts, sausage meat, onions, and sage using traditional stuffing methods. The golden-brown skin glistened with oil, and the aroma was irresistible when you cut into it.

Henry cut a piece of turkey breast and picked up a few Brussels sprouts—a dish he hated as a child, and still… he can’t quite accept it now.

"How's the food at Hogwarts?" Diana asked.

"It's alright," Henry said softly, "a little worse than this place."

Diana smiled. "Of course. The head chef here was brought in from France."

Henry glanced at his grandmother, who was eating elegantly at the other end of the table, and asked softly, "Does Grandma do this every year?"

"It's the same every year," Diana said. "It's never changed since the year I married into the family."

She paused, her gaze falling on the children—William was fighting with Zara for the last meat pie, and Harry's face was covered in sauce.

"Besides the fact that there are more and more people," she added with a smile.

The third course was brandy butter Christmas pudding.

The enormous pudding was brought out whole, drizzled with brandy, and then set ablaze. Blue flames rose up, illuminating the entire restaurant.

The servants began to cut the meat, one piece for each person, and served it with a spoonful of golden butter brandy sauce.

Cheers erupted from William's side—a silver sixpence coin was hidden on the pudding on their table.

According to tradition, the person who eats this coin will have good luck in the coming year.

"Who ate it?" Diana asked.

"Me!" William raised his hand, clutching the gleaming coin. "It's me!"

Zara pursed her lips: "You're really lucky."

Harry muttered under his breath, "I saw it first..."

William stuffed the coin into his pocket and made a face at his brother.

At 3 p.m. sharp, everyone returned to the living room on time.

The television was turned on and tuned to BBC One—the Queen's Christmas speech was about to begin.

This is another unwavering tradition: since George V first delivered his Christmas address via radio in 1932, every monarch has addressed the Commonwealth of Great Britain at 3 p.m. on Christmas Day.

Elizabeth has been in power since 1952, without interruption.

The living room fell silent.

On the screen, Elizabeth appeared in front of the camera, wearing that pink suit, sitting behind the familiar desk in the study.

"In 1952, when I first broadcast to you at Christmas, the world was a very different place to the one we live in today..."

She talked about what happened this year and about the people who persevered through the difficulties.

She mentioned her father, George VI—the king who led Britain through war, whose death will mark the 40th anniversary next February. Over the years, she has followed her father's example and done her best to serve others.

The speech has ended.

On the screen, the Queen smiled slightly and said: "May God bless you and bring you a happy Christmas."

It's worth mentioning that Henry only learned after arriving in England that the greeting "Merry Christmas" wasn't always paired with "Merry Christmas." For example, his grandmother preferred to use "Happy" instead of "Merry."

Henry didn't ask why; he figured his grandma was right.

but……

Today's Christmas address certainly won't have the highest viewership or generate the most buzz this year.

Because Henry knew that at 19:25 PM, there would be an even more explosive televised address.

After afternoon tea, the lively atmosphere in the living room gradually subsided.

William and Harry were taken by the nanny to wash up and change clothes in preparation for the family dinner that evening; Zara and the others were also taken away by their respective mothers, leaving only the adults sitting around the fireplace in the living room, chatting idly.

The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, casting a warm glow on everyone's faces.

Outside the window, dusk had completely enveloped the manor, and snow had started falling again, drifting in the air like salt.

Diana leaned back on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the snow outside the window, lost in thought.

Charles sat beside her with a Quidditch book on his lap, but was clearly distracted; Prince Philip, holding his whiskey, leaned back in his armchair by the fireplace, his eyes half-closed, whether asleep or resting, was unknown.

Elizabeth sat in an armchair, a wool blanket covering her lap, her gaze fixed on the flames in the fireplace. Everyone seemed to be quietly waiting for something.

The living room was quiet, with only the crackling of firewood in the fireplace and the occasional sound of wind coming from outside the window.

Until Paul gently pushed the door open and came in.

"Your Majesty," he said, walking up to Elizabeth and bowing slightly, his voice low, "the BBC and ITV have both informed us that at 7:25, that gentleman will deliver a national televised address."

The spirits of everyone in the living room lifted slightly.

Henry knew he was about to witness history.

Prince Philip opened his eyes, Charles put down the report in his hand, and Diana turned her gaze away from the window.

Elizabeth nodded. "Understood."

After Paul left, the living room was quiet for a moment.

Philip picked up his sherry, took a sip, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "It's finally here."

Charles looked at his father: "You also think...?"

“Yes,” Philip said with certainty, “nobody cares about his new alliance agreement anymore. That drunkard Boris has everything under his control. What can he do?”