Christine Deasey fulfilled her dream of meeting Prince William, who took an interest in the teenager’s life during his visit to Malta at the weekend. Photo: Jeremy Wonnacott/DOIOn the eve of Independence Day, 17-year-old Christine Deasey could hardly contain herself with excitement as she made her way to the Upper Barrakka Gardens.
Looking immaculate in a long white dress, the teenager was the envy of many young girls as she fulfilled her dream of meeting Prince William, who was in Malta as the guest of honour for the Golden Jubilee of Independence.
“It was like a fairytale – it was simply indescribable,” the thrilled teen told this newspaper.
“Up close, he looked much younger than he appears in pictures. He is the exact image of his mother, Lady Diana, whom I really admired and who was a great source of inspiration for me during various stages of my life.”
Ms Deasey has spina bifida, a congenital disorder that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings.
As a result, she is a wheelchair user and has spent up to six months at a stretch in hospital due to dangerous pressure sores.
She was invited to the reception by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his wife Michelle, who got wind of the teenager’s desire to meet the Duke of Cambridge.
He’s the image of his mother, Lady Diana
“When he came before me, I was dumbstruck – I couldn’t utter a word. I managed to whisper my name and he crouched down beside me so that he could look me in the eye.”
Realising that the teenager was trembling, Prince William asked her why she was so nervous. She replied that being a fan of the royal family, it had been her greatest wish to meet him and his brother, Prince Harry.
When she informed the prince that she was half-English but that she had never been to the UK, he turned to the Prime Minister and told him that there had to be a way to bring her to Britain.
“He asked my mother, who was next to me: ‘Where’s your husband?’
“We were all silent for a bit and when I told him that my father passed away three years ago, he told me: ‘I’m so sorry’ – the expression on his face showed that he knew what it meant to lose a parent at a young age.
“Later in the evening, he passed by in front of me and called out: ‘Goodbye Christine, it was nice to meet you, thanks for coming’.
“It was an evening I will never forget,” she smiled, eyes shining.