Waiting Like Royalty

Destiny is found in its journey.

In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II’s reign began after the untimely passing of her father. Her own heir was only three years old at the time her father died. She went on to have a long and historic reign through many decades of national and global change till her death in 2022.

This past weekend, the Queen’s heir, King Charles III’s coronation was completed. What lessons can be learned from the grace it takes a man to wait and prepare for seven decades to succeed his mother and in a sense, begin destiny?

It might be helpful (for the sake of this piece) to consider destiny as a set point in life when everything comes together toward the fulfilment of a role. If destiny occurs at a point in time, what happens between birth and destiny? Are the years between merely preparatory or themselves full of meaning and value?

Let’s get some insights from King Charles III’s journey.

• Facing adversity

As surely as no hero or underdog story arc is complete without challenges to overcome, being born into royalty did not exclude King Charles III from adversity. He dealt with bullying as a child and lived under intense media scrutiny. Some might consider bullying inconsequential, but what about the documented effects on mental health? Your adversity may not have been bullying, but something else you face or have already overcome. The takeaway here is, let nothing stop you. See your challenges as indicators of your value. If it’s too much to deal with on your own, seek help from friends, family, or professionals.

• Dealing with personal faults

The King’s marital journey and issues therein are well known. He had his faults but like all humans who have fallen short of what they would have wanted and realised that staying down serves no one, he chose to move forward. Don’t let your faults keep you down. Leaving them in place not only harms you, but those around you. Accountability to self and others demands taking stock of our own faults and doing what we must to be better.

• Family dynamics

Few families have had their lives and challenges scrutinised like the British royals. Unless you’re in the public eye, you may never understand what the British royals have experienced. However, you don’t need to be a celebrity or public figure to experience undulating family dynamics (Note: I recognise that some people have become isolated from families through acts of nature and no fault of theirs. To such, I hope you find comfort in good people around you.). I am not aware of the private conversations of the Royal family beyond what has been published by insiders and members of the same family. We are however aware of the pains expressed by Prince Harry and how the Royal family has had to address it in public. I have a feeling that whatever they have said and done publicly, we may never know what else has transpired privately to balance an outward appearance of keeping the rules of royal life and societal expectation, and existing as a family where love prevails. Whatever your family situation, let love rule in your heart and don’t be moved by what people will say.

• Making a difference

On his way to the throne, King Charles III embraced a life of service. He waited not to be bowed to, but to understand as much as he could what people lived through and use his position to touch lives. Beyond serving in the British armed forces, he set up the Prince’s Trust which has positively impacted the lives of over one million young people who have gone on to do great things such as the British actor, David Oyelowo. The King believes that everyone has a gift or talent which if nurtured, will lead to great things. Develop your skills and talents and use them to not only improve your standard of living, but to empower others.

• Going on in pain

The King addressed the British nation and well-wishers around the world a day after his mother died. Granted, he would have been prepared for the moment, but few people would have frowned at him taking some days off. He chose rather to speak and share personal grief with the public as an act of service. In your hurting moments, turn the pain outwards. Not to hurt anyone, but to heal others. Find a way to lift someone even when you need lifting yourself. You just may find that you heal faster.

“I never believe(d) for one minute that I should use who I was to get my way or to order anybody to do anything because I’m who I am. I believe that the only way you can do anything is through any kind of respect that people may have for you as a person.” [King Charles III – Charles R: The Making of a Monarch]

As a closing thought, perhaps your destiny lies not in that moment you foresee, but in the things you do daily that not only improve your life but make a meaningful difference to others. You may never assume an earthly throne, but you will always be special to everyone whose lives you touch.

Long live King Charles III!