Norman was the father of seven when his wife died. He brought them up on his own. They were all extraordinary children; sporty, intelligent, generous.
Eadlin specialised at Cambridge University in Celtic languages. She could speak Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh, and was working towards a doctorate in traditional Cornish poetry. She was an extraordinarily good viola player, as well as representing her country in women’s high jump at the Olympics. It was no surprise when the British heir to the throne, Prince George, fell in love with her. They were married at Westminster Abbey and half the world fell in love with the future Queen Eddie.
Of course, at the wedding there were Royals from all over the place. And so it happened that Eadlin’s six siblings mingled with sovereigns and their children:
Giles met Princess Benedikte-Elisabeth, the heir to the Danish throne. They eventually married.
Holly met Prince Guillaume François, the heir in Belgium. They eventually married.
Xavier met Princess Catharina, the heir in the Netherlands. They eventually married.
Bonnie met Prince Pablo, the heir to the Spanish throne. They eventually married.
Zachary met Princess Estelle, the heir to the Swedish throne. They eventually married.
Sonja didn’t meet anyone special at Eadlin’s wedding. She later found her true love when the plumber came to fix the sink in her apartment.
Norman, their father, was delighted. The Press referred to it as Norman’s Invasion. No one knew that six of his seven children (Sonja was the exception) carried an incurable gene that caused madness.