Chapter One
Friends, foes, and those in between – we are gathered here today to tell the tale of how our very own Duchess, Ms. Whitney, a true diamond of the first water, came to be engaged to Siya, a cherished Duke hailing all the way from South Africa. Come one, come all, to hear how this magical union began.
So sit on down, lean in, and listen very, very closely. What you’re about to read isn’t just any ol’ sweet story of how two became one. No, no, no. It’s better. ‘Tis an epic tale of romance and destiny that all began in the greatest city on earth, New York. A tale all about the magical power of Black love—its urgency, its intention, and its mind-blowing ability to bring two destined soul mates’ hearts together despite all obstacles in its path. It is the beautiful retelling of how the universe deeply conspired to set two supremely dope star-crossed lovers’ paths in motion to cross and cross until they collided and lit an undimmable spark that became a fiery connection for the ages—a love that was a decade in the making ya’ll. Whew, chile! We can feel the heat coming off the page. Okay, I digress, darlings. On with the tale.
Once upon a time, our darling Duchess, Whitney Mari Headen, was born a queen rising in Baltimore, Maryland to proud parents Robert and Delaine Headen, and raised in the coastal land of Hampton, Virginia. There she grew up a gracious, cultured, passionate and driven young queen who went on to graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Meanwhile, far across the ocean—8,026 miles to be exact—in an entirely different land of South Africa, in a place called Soweto, a young, adventurous, and talented Duke was also coming of age and into his own. Siyabonga Madikane, known as Siya, grew up in an orphanage called OTHANDWENI in Soweto. At age 10, young Siya was adopted by Americans Ted Forstmann, Judy Billing and Barbara Hackett. Siya’s dad, Mr. Forstmann, lovingly nicknamed him “The Duke” when he was just a youngin’, naming him after one of his most favorite Brooklyn Dodgers players, Duke Snyder. Back then, young Siya was known for his very proper, and at times even regal, demeanor, and also a big Dodgers fan, so the nickname was a win-win. When he was 17 years young, Siya swapped scenery and moved to the United States full time to attend one Pepperdine University. Little did he know, he was already one giant step closer to meeting his future “Duchess.”
While these two dynamic young future movers and shakers were cultivating their individual independence, careers and passions, the Universe was hard at work, setting them on a course to meetup and fall hard in love. Their inevitable journey into each other’s arms took three good tries to go down the way it was all intended to, but as we know, fate will always have its way when it comes to true love. So read on, this saga continues.
The first time our Duke and Duchess breathed the same air, unbeknownst to each other, was way back in the day, in the year 2009 of our Lord. Young queen Whitney had just moved to New York City, during a recession without a job or a place to live no less, driven purely by her unstoppable desire to start an unpaid internship with IMG fashion that she’d landed in the big city. (Now we already told you that sis was born a real go-getter.) Years later, our sweet Duchess-to-be would learn that young Siya’s family-owned IMG then and the Duke himself, who was working as a sports consultant at that time, was also in attendance at one of the events Whitney worked while interning there.
While it was the first time that Whitney and Siya would find themselves in the very same location all the while still blissfully unaware of each other’s existence, it would certainly not be the last. Years later, both The Duke and his Future Duchess showed up and showed out at the 2016 Polo Classic, a very prestigious social gathering of the elite and well-dressed who’s-who crowd in NYC where mingling and sipping are required. Only, they never bumped into each other there. The couple would later become privy to the chance encounter after seeing photos that showed they were both in attendance at the same time. It was another close call, but not yet their time. You see, our Duke and his future Duchess needed to meet when they were supposed to meet—then and only then. But don’t you worry loves, it’s coming.
It should also be said that coming up, our young Whitney’s heart was as big as her resume. When she wasn’t climbing corporate ladders briskly, she was giving back to her community every chance she got. It’s something she and Siya have always had in common—an undeniably philanthropic spirit and a commitment to their communities. In fact, Whitney once lived in Los Angeles for a quick stint, of say about eight months (the left coast was not her thing). Whitney spent most of her time regularly volunteering at a charity for kids in South Los Angeles called A Place Called Home. Once again, she was so close to our dear Siya that she could almost reach out and touch him, but yet and still she was none the wiser. You see, unbeknownst to our fair lady at the time, Siya’s mother and auntie dearest supported lots of charities through their family’s foundation and were one of the largest donors for A Place Called Home. (Years later after Whitney and Siya would become our Duke and Duchess, they’d all visit A Place Called Home Together, and find that the Director remembered Whitney well.) Coincidences? We think not, loves. Like we’ve said, the Universe wasn’t playing when it came to these two lovers.
Chapter Two
In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, our Duke and Duchess may have crossed paths before, but the universe required that they meet exactly when and where they were supposed. So, in the city that never sleeps, the two soon to be star crossed lovers traveled far and wide only to finally end up in the same place at the same time. You guessed it, Brooklyn—where our young Duke finally found his Duchess.
Buckle up, my darlings because here’s the tea, and a whirlwind love story it is. It all went down at a party that Lady Whitney almost didn’t go to at a time in her life when dating was the farthest from her mind. Her focus was elsewhere, and rightfully so. The company she co-founded had taken off and she was all-in on securing the bag and her future. Whitney was living in the land of Jersey at this time and on this special night, a good friend of hers that lived in her building talked her into coming with her to an African Chophouse party in Brooklyn and being the designated driver. As Lady Whitney will tell you, it wasn’t necessarily her scene, but she obliged her friend and agreed to attend just for the vibes. At the party, as it turns out, one of Lady Whitney’s girlfriends was dating one of our Dear Duke’s good friends, so just like that, their groups began to intermingle at the party. You can be sure Lady Whitney wasn’t at the party just praying a good man would come and scoop her off her feet, oh no. Instead, she enjoying the vibes, plate in hand, just taking in the moment and minding her good business.
Lady Whitney had not a clue of this, just yet, but The Duke had already laid eyes on her and she’d already become the highlight of his evening. The Duke began to plot his big move. He would stroll over to Lady Whitney and ask for the pleasure of her conversation that night. She was a tad bit with it, but still standoffish at first. He began to make casual conversation with Lady Whitney until their groups both left this event to head to an afterparty just down the lane. At the second party, Siya, our Dear Duke, was still determined to get to know Lady Whitney better that night, so he asked Whitney to dance. After taking their first spin on the dance floor, Lady Whitney and the Duke had begun to warm up to each other. They found a semi-quiet corner and began to chat it up, which they did for the rest of the night. As the evening came to an end, the Duke wasn’t willing to end the night without nabbing Lady Whitney’s digits, but he needed to be smooth (and honorable) to get her to give ‘em up. Since Lady Whitney had to take the long trek from the land of Brooklyn to the Province of North Jersey by car late at night, the ever so sly Duke asked for her number so that he could be confident in her safety and whereabouts before retiring for the night. She obliged, and as promised, The Duke sent her a text message in the wee hours of the morning ensuring she was safely back at her humble abode. He also slid in a request for an official proper-style first date with Lady Whitney once again, even including a pre-selected location, time, and date—a move that made Lady Whitney, a well-organized Virgo queen to the fullest extent, blush. She had to admit, she was impressed.
You see, it was Siya’s beautiful soul and strong presence that won over Lady Whitney’s heart the night they first met, and she was intrigued and open to meeting him further, despite her hesitancy to date during this time in her life. Lady Whitney’s good girlfriends expertly convinced her to make a tad bit room for fun in her busy life. Lady Whitney arrived 45 minutes late to their date, but The Duke sat there patiently waiting for his future soulmate to arrive, even ordering her a drink based on what he recalled her drinking at the party the night they met. The Duke and The Duchess’ connection as they sat across the table from one another was absolutely undeniable, and that evening, right there at a little table inside the big city, their courtship and their future was solidified.
A short time later, The Duke, who works in non-profits, invited Lady Whitney to what she believed was to be a typical charity gala. He made no mention of just how big a deal the night was to be for him, but Lady Whitney would soon learn even more about The Duke than she ever could have imagined. Lady Whitney arrived at the gala only to discover that The Duke was in fact the honored guest of the evening. He took the stage and gave a speech pouring out his heart as he discussed why philanthropy was such an important part of his life.
At that very moment, an aww-struck Lady Whitney fell in love with The Duke—with his generous heart, his kind spirit, and his deep soul. The rest, as they say, is for the history books, and their next chapters included a whirlwind and uber romantic trip to Italy for Siya’s cousin’s wedding and moving in together just before the pandemic began.
Chapter Three
The Duke and The Duchess slowly became each other’s constants and rocks throughout their cherished courtship and began to fit neatly into each other’s busy lives like a key into a lock, despite how uniquely different their destined paths were before the day the universe brought them together. Whitney and Siya’s bond was strengthened by their time boo’ed up at home during the global pandemic, especially considering that Siya almost didn’t make it back home from South Africa before the borders closed. They cherished every second and soon learned everything about each other they didn’t know they didn’t know. They did the work, dug deep, and choose each other every step of the way. Are you swooning, darling? Because, listen, fairytales actually do come true.
When the moment came for The Duke to formally ask The Duchess for her hand in marriage, he fully understood the assignment. First, he asked Lady Whitney’s family for their blessing. Next, he whipped out a sketchbook and actually designed his betrothed’s engagement ring. Then, the ever-so-thoughtful and charming Duke sought out a minority and women owned jeweler to design the ring, because well, of course, you know Lady Whitney don’t play when it comes to supporting badass Black female entrepreneurs like herself. He planned an elegant engagement at Jean Georges in New York City and an intimate private dinner afterparty inside the couple’s home so that they could celebrate with their closest friends and family. The Duke transformed their living rooming into a fairytale venue, filled with custom candle and flower arrangements of all The Duchess’ favorites. He hired a chef to prepare a custom menu that combined their cultures, Southern, Caribbean, and South African, a theme that’s always showed up throughout their love story. The Duke spared no detail when it came to making the moment unforgettable for The Duchess and each and every single moment of that day was authentically them. The Duchess happily accepting The Dukes invitation to do life together and her heart was oh-so-full.
I’d say, now that’s the end of this epic story but you can be sure that it’s only the beginning for The Duke and The Duchess. The planning of the wedding of the century is now in progress and your attendance is requested.