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My name is Lady Melba Claiburn, 1st Lady of the Bedchamber to Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal of Montinique, Rosiland deCastille. I served Her Royal Highness (HRH) since she left the nursery at age 3. I was chosen by Her Majesty, Queen Zinita because I was a widow and childless and had served for many years in the Royal House of the deWhittiers. My primary job was to care for HRH personal needs and to enforce the strict training required of a Royal Princess.

 

Her Royal Highness was fun loving, she enjoyed Prince Michael, who was 18 months her senior. But, their time together ended abruptly when the young Prince was moved from the nursery and relocated to the wing of the Palace that housed the older Princes and lesser young nobles of the Court. HRH was 5 years old at the time she was separated from her brother.

 

As for her interaction with other children, it was strictly limited. Her Majesty believed that it wasn't proper for the Princess to have friends that were not of the Royal household. Everything that touched her young life was intended to make her a perfect Royal Princess. There was no time for fun in her life at Whittier Palace.

 

Princess Rosiland was a brilliant child with an adventurous spirit. She quickly mastered her studies, and at an early age had a disciplined work ethic. She was taught all the great European languages and histories of the Royal houses. 

 

The Queen also insisted that Princess Rosiland know every detail of court life. She practiced how to curtsy very low, which was most difficult for a young child. Ballet lessons were utilized to assist her with balance and grace, which helped tremendously as she grew taller. I think had Her Majesty lived to see Her Royal Highness become a full grown woman, she would have been upset that Rosiland was taller than most princesses. 

 

After Princess Rosiland’s 5th birthday until she was almost 11, she rarely spent any time with the Princes. They were busy learning their princely duties, and she were kept in the part of the Palace reserved for the ladies of the Court. Of course there were times spent with the family. But Rosiland was forced to spend it sitting like a pretty porcelain doll while Prince Michael and their cousin, Roger, frolicked about the room. It was to remain this way until the piano recital luncheon that was held each year to open the Court's Spring Social Season. 

 

A lot has been said and written about that piano recital. I was there during the time leading up to and immediately after the incident happened. The Princess did not mind the lessons, but they came at a time when she was getting restless in her limited lifestyle. The fall before, she had been permitted riding lessons which she truly loved, perhaps because she could get out and away from the Palace. But, Her Majesty decided the Her Royal Highness should learn the piano, and the sooner, the better. So, the riding lessons were exchanged for music lessons. 

 

Some people say that Her Majesty did not love Rosiland. I don't believe that is true. I think she just wanted to mold her daughter into a perfect Royal Princess to perhaps attract a better Royal marriage offer when the time came. But, the pattern of perfection became broken when the Princess displayed a little rebellion. 

 

Her Royal Highness missed a couple of piano lessons, and when she did practice, her heart was not in it. Because of her attitude, the lessons became the focus for re-enforcing discipline, and Her Majesty set a time limit for accomplishing the goals for performance. The requirements were beyond what any adult, much less a child, could be expected to do. 

 

But the Queen was determined to snuff out the rebellion she saw and brought a piece of music to the teacher.  Her Majesty told the instructor that Princess Rosiland must learn it correctly within a week, and be prepared to perform it without sheet music.  It wasn't the type of thing a ten-year-old would ever be asked to learn, but that didn't matter. The Princess Royal of Montinique wasn't just any ten years old. 

 

Her Royal Highness was excused from all other studies so she might practice her piano lessons. The music teacher drilled her over and over, hour after hour. It was not my custom to stay in attendance during the lessons, but after the first day, I decided to sit to the side and watch over the Princess. Not that I could have changed anything, but only to offer the poor child support. 

 

By the third day the Princess could pick out the notes reasonably well, but the piece was long and complicated. Every time she missed a note or was slow in her performance, the instructor would strike his baton on the music stand and Her Royal Highness would jump. Her Majesty came the afternoon of the fifth day to check the progress and was not impressed. Rosiland could play the piece the way any a ten-year-old might play it, but, Her Majesty wasn't satisfied. At the beginning of the seventh day, when I took HRH to the music room, I was informed that she could not return to her apartment until she had memorized the music and play it without mistakes. 

 

The Princess stayed in the music room all day. She was forced to take meals there and was not allowed to leave for any reason. Young Prince Michael and their cousin, Roger, slipped into the room and tried to cheer her up. They were soon found and chased away. I sat and watched her try to master the music but couldn't. I wanted the child to be allowed to return to her room, but the Queen had forbidden it. So, I sat and watched HRH try, with all her might, to play the music from memory. 

 

Over the course of the week, the Court had become aware of the music coming from the music room, and even more so when it continued into the night. At three o'clock in the morning, on the day of the recital, HRH played the piece from memory and was allowed to go to her room. 

 

I sponged off the little Princess and put her to bed because she only had a few hours to sleep before getting ready for her performance. I let her sleep as long as I dared and when I woke her, I noticed that her little hands were swollen. She could hardly bend her fingers. There were also blisters on her fingertips. 

 

What to do?  Her Royal Highness  must play in a couple of hours. So I called for cool water and soaked her hands. I could see the worry in her eyes. She mustn't fail Her Majesty but how could the child play with her hands so painful? We had no choice, so I put a pair of gloves on her to keep others from seeing how bad her hands were. Normally, a child her age would not be expected to wear gloves to a luncheon, but she did.

 

She wore a dress of white satin, and I tied her beautiful auburn hair back with a yellow ribbon. Then I walked with her to the conservatory. She was so small; less than 4 feet tall. She was thin too, but the beauty she would one day become, was most evident. 

 

I waited with the Princess at the back of the room.  If she was afraid or nervous, I couldn't tell because she was never an emotional child. When the instructor announced her, I watched her gracefully walk toward the huge black piano.  It was positioned at the head of the rows of seating which was filled with the members of the Court. Once beside the grand piano, she stopped and turned, then curtsied toward where Their Majesties sat. She was so graceful that my heart fairly burst with pride while watching her. 

 

Her Royal Highness took her seat on the very edge of the piano bench with her feet barely touching the peddles. She looked so small and alone. Once, she looked at me with her beautiful eyes and briefly smiled, as if to reassure me. Then I watched as she removed her gloves and saw a quick look of pain mark her features, but she recovered quickly. And then she began to play. 

 

I held my breath as she hesitated on the first notes. ‘She can't do it,’ I thought, then I prayed for her. An instant later, she began to play, and it was beautiful. She had closed her eyes, perhaps to see the notes in her memory, I'm not sure, but the longer she played, the more perfect her performance. She seemed caught up in the music as she moved over the keys, her tiny hands flying and her feet taping the cord peddles. The room was mesmerized by this small creature with the auburn curls and dancing fingers. 

 

I hadn’t realized that I had been holding my breath until the last notes faded and she moved off the bench and again curtsied to Their Majesties. Their Majesties, in response, rose from their seats and applauded. Then the whole Court stood and applauded. Her Royal Highness had done the impossible, but at what cost was yet to be revealed. 

 

I had promised the Princess that as soon as the performance was over, I would whisk her back to her room so she could rest. It wasn't customary for the younger children to attend the luncheons, only those over the age of 15. But, the Queen decided that the Royal Princess should stay and receive the praises of the Court. I saw the look in Rosiland’s sweet eyes, and for the first time, they glistened with unshed tears. But, she regained her composure and stood near Her Majesty while the Court came and lavished praises on her. I stayed close by, waiting for the moment when Her Royal Highness might be released, but she was forced to remain until the luncheon had finished. 

 

As Their Majesties left the conservatory, I hurried over to where Princess Rosiland sat. I tried to get her to stand up but she was simply too tired. I was calling for a Page to assist me when Prince Byron and Lord Edward came forward. 

 

Prince Byron picked her up and carried the Princess to her rooms and placed her upon her bed. Prince Michael and Roger had followed, from wherever they had been hiding, and I had to shoo them all out. The older boys didn't want to leave HRH, but they didn't argue when I insisted. 

 

Poor little Princess Rosiland. She was so exhausted. She kept falling asleep as I tried to undress her. With the help of one of the other maids, we finally stripped her to her chemise and tucked her into the bed. I waited to remove the gloves until I was alone with HRH. 

 

Rosiland had replaced the gloves immediately after her performance, while still at the piano, and had kept them on during the entire luncheon which meant she hadn't eaten anything. How could she, without revealing the condition of her hands. 

 

As Her Royal Highness slept, I began to remove the gloves. To my horror, I was forced to cut them off, and my heart broke at what I saw. Her small hands were horribly swollen, more than they had been earlier that day. And now, the blisters had broken, and the skin was raw and oozing. The poor, sweet child had played her masterpiece while enduring excruciating pain. At last, I removed the gloves and cleaned her tiny hands. Then I wrapped them in gauze and laid them atop the bedclothes. 

 

She slept all afternoon, until about eight that evening. I ordered food delivered to her room and was feeding her when His Royal Majesty was announced. I hurriedly put her hands beneath the coverlet and called for the King to enter. King Frederick was smiling and came to sit beside her on the bed. He was telling her how proud he was and how much honor she had brought to the family. As he went to leave, he leaned over to kiss her cheek and accidentally leaned on one of her hands. Rosiland’s cry of pain was almost instant. His Majesty fairly jumped from the bed and exclaimed, "What happened?  Did I hurt you?"

 

The Princess could hardly speak for the pain as her eyes quickly filled with tears. His Majesty looked to me for an answer. "What is wrong with her?" he asked, and in the next instant he was checking the coverlet and pulled it back. When he saw her gauze-wrapped hands he was horrified. "What is this?" he demanded, and I was forced to tell him the whole sorted mess. 

 

His Royal Majesty sat and listen, then gradually began to unwrap her hands. When he saw how damaged they were, his eyes went from being shocked to being angry. I thought at first he was going to blame me, but he didn't. As he swore under his breath, he called for a Page to bring the doctor. The doctor cleaned the Princess’ blisters and placed a healing salve on them. Then the physician wrapped her hands in such a way as to allow them to heal faster. Before His Royal Majesty left, he sat quietly, talking with the Princess, then kissed her lightly on the head before leaving. 

 

The next day, there was a rumor of a terrible argument having taken place in the Queen's apartment. No one seemed to know what it entailed, but Her Majesty wasn't seen for several days, and the entire spring season had been canceled. 

 

Later that same day, Prince Byron and Lord Edward came to visit. They had heard a rumor and wanted to see Her Royal Highness. Hesitantly I permitted them to enter and sat and watched as the Princess removed her bandages and showed them her hands. Both young men grew very angry and left soon after. I don't know if they shared their finding with any other members of the family, but the remainder of the season was very quiet at Whittier Palace. 

 

From that day forward, Her Royal Highness’ education was in the hands of the King. He gave her the spring and summers seasons of study off, which made the Princess a changed child.  In the fall, the Princess asked to be allowed to travel to Castlemyer for the hunting season. The King was helpless to deny her anything, and the Princes would do likewise. 

 

I traveled to Castlemyer with Her Royal Highness for the first time without the Queen or the Court in attendance. It was at that time that the Page, Eugene, was hired to be in attendance to Princess Rosiland. He was a constant companion and thus began their close relationship. He would continue in that role until she was 16 and began to spend all of her time with the Princes and her cousins. 

 

In those early years at Castlemyer, the Princes taught her to ride her horse astride. She had taken a pair of Prince Michael's breeches and an old shirt and could be seen riding over the hills close to the estate. In the fall, when she was 12, Queen Zinita learned of the Princess’ newly acquired habit, and a conflict ensued. The Queen forbid Her Royal Highness to ever ride a horse astride again then had the breeches, shirt, and boots thrown into the fire. Princess Rosiland was devastated. That was when she ran away and didn't return for two days. 

 

Panic seized the occupants of the estate when night fell that first day and Her Royal Highness was not found. The house staff and mounted guards were sent to hunt for her. Even the villagers were combing the area, but there was no sign of the Princess. Only later did she return in the company of her new friend, Elaine and the girl's father. Rosiland was not punished for running away, but that event signaled the end of her dominance by the Queen. 

 

The next spring, almost two years to the day of the piano recital, Queen Zinita died at the Palace of Whittier. During the days of the Royal funeral activities, Princess Rosiland sat silently poised, but she never cried. And, she never spoke of it again. That part of her life was over. 

 

An agreement was reached between the then, 13-year-old Princess and the King. While at Whittier, Her Royal Highness would be everything her titled required of her. And she fulfilled the position flawlessly. But, at Castlemyer, Rosiland could do as she pleased as long as she did not bring disgrace upon the Royal Houses of Castile or Whittier, or to her title as the Princess Royal. It was a perfect arrangement for a most unique and unusual Royal Princess

 

At Castlemyer, the Princes and their cousins continued to teach the Princess various skills. They taught her to hunt and to shoot a gun, which she did not like because of the noise it made. Once, she found an old crossbow in the armory and with Eugene's help, taught herself how to use it. She was soon running all over the grounds of the estate shooting at rabbits and using trees for targets.  When His Majesty saw the result of her target practice, he wanted to know who was murdering his trees. When he was told that it was HRH, he was amused and sent for her. He asked Rosiland if she thought she was proficient enough with her ancient weapon to try her hand at hunting. Her face had beamed as she proclaimed, "Yes, Your Majesty!"


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The winter the Princess was 15, she was permitted to join the Royal Hunt. Riding her mild-mannered mare, carrying her crossbow on her shoulder, she rode in the position next to the King. Rosiland was so proud, and after the hunt was over, so was His Majesty. King Frederick was amazed at her accuracy, and stunned when she bagged the only deer of the hunt. From that time on she had earned a position of respect in the family of men. 

 

The Princes, although they loved and respected her, grew to want some space between themselves and their sister, who was always eager for competition. They didn't mind so much when the Princess beat then at chess, or that her target competition was nearly flawless, but when she began to shadow their every move, they put their foot down. Prince Byron and Lord Edward were men by that time, and their love life suffered when she showed up at every turn. 

 

Prince Michael and Lord Roger, being closer in age, tolerated Her Royal Highness. But, as she grew bolder, the fights began in earnest. Their fighting was not out of dislike for one another, but because at Castlemyer, HRH's emotions were unleashed, and badgering and bullying was her way of getting what she wanted. After 11 years of strict discipline, and keeping a tight reign on her emotions, she had begun to let them run rampant over any and everything at Castlemyer. It was also the way she competed with her brothers and, while they disliked it at times, they enjoyed the quick-witted and sly girl their sister had become. And, if she agreed to blend with the group, they always welcomed her on their adventures. 

 

But, sometimes Rosiland’s temperament was even more than she could control. Perhaps, Queen Zinita had not been wrong in disciplining the little princess, after all.

 

Once, when Her Royal Highness was in the stable getting ready for a rabbit hunt, she overheard a rude comment from one of the workers. When she asked him to repeat it, she became inflamed with uncontrollable rage at his comment, and in an instant had loaded and fired her crossbow at the young man, pinning him to the wall. He was unhurt, but she could have killed him if her aim had been off the slightest bit. The Princess received a scolding from His Majesty, and the stable worker was dismissed after receiving a visit from the Royal Princes. 

 

And then there was the time she grew tired of riding her mare. It was a sweet animal which was used for Her Royal Highness’ riding lessons at the estate. It was a gentle and reliable ride for the young girl  but the Princess wanted a faster more robust horse. When her request went unfulfilled, she took to 'borrowing' the horses of other family members.  Once she took Crown Prince Alexander's horse which caused a great uproar in the house. His horse was a temperamental Arabian and too dangerous for any female to handle. But she had ridden the animal, and that fact put the whole affair in a different light. 

 

The question of whether HRH should be allowed to ride a stallion was one of pride for her but put the men in an uncomfortable position.  No woman ever rode a stallion. It was a man's horse.  But, HRH persisted until His Majesty gave way and let her look for a new horse for her personal use. When she was 16, Her Royal Highness took a week-long expedition to the country's most excellent stables. She returned to Castlemyer with a spirited black stallion that stood a full 16 hands high. There was a great deal of consternation about her safety, but she won the day and kept the 'Black Hunter,’ as the animal became known.

 

The first interaction between rider and horse was watched with concern and fascination. The Princess wasn't disheartened when the large animal fought her attempts to control him. The spirited stallion had met the temperamental, strong willed Princess and the battle was on. Behind the scenes, bets were being waged until one beautiful fall morning, with the smell of frost in the air, the bets were called. That was the day that  Her Royal Highness had turned the great black horse toward the open fields around Castlemyer and rode away over the hills. 

 

The Princes were not fast enough to catch her and returned to the estate thinking that their little sister would end up thrown into a stream or killed from a fall. They were all pleasantly surprised when later that afternoon, HRH rode back through the gates of Castlemyer at a controlled trot. She stopped near the stables and sat for a long time while the stallion flicked his ears and rolled his eyes back at her. Then, she dismounted and lead the great black horse quietly back to his stable. The battle was over, and HRH had the horse of her dreams. 

 

After that day, HRH was complete in who she had come to be at her beloved Castlemyer. Firmly seated in her saddle on the massive horse, wearing her now-signature boots, breeches, and loose fitting blouse, with her auburn hair a mass of curls and waves, lying windblown around her shoulders and down her back, she was Roz the Princess Royal of Montinique. The once little princess who had impressed the Court with her piano recital, now impressed the country as a princess who was a force to be reckoned with, and would one day be called their Rebel Queen. 

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