Queen Elizabeth II had just died and hadn’t even made it to London for the official laying in state (the funeral was 10 days away, although everything had been planned years, no make that decades, ago). That didn’t stop Red, a Tudor history fan (Black would say “fanatic”) and long-time follower of the Royal Family (dating back to before she married a Brit and lived in England), from sharing with Black how she thought King Charles III could be the right man at the right time to be king.
RED’S THOUGHTS ABOUT KING CHARLES:
- King Charles could be the perfect bridge between Queen Elizabeth II and the next in line, Prince William
- Trained since birth, he knows the importance of the role and its history
- He may have “rocked the boat” in his younger days, but now he’s older and wiser
- His generation may not have acknowledged the changing of England’s population and the need to accept racial diversity or the existence of mental health issues, but he understands the importance of embracing today’s issues vs. living in the past
- His long-time positions on climate change, the environment, and conservationism used to be considered crazy and are now not only mainstream, but recognized as critical issues
- People’s opinions of him have changed and may have been due to a concerted effort on his part, but maybe he’s not quite as daft as people once thought
- Prince Charles’s personal life was once viewed through the lens of his “fairy tale gone bad” relationship with Princess Diana, but Queen Consort Camilla, who was his “first love”, seems to be a true partner and may be a better fairy tale
- Regardless of why, he’s more “human” and approachable than prior British sovereigns, as displayed by “the kiss” he received on his first day as king from one of his subjects
Of course, Red fully expected Black to reply with a business analysis of “The Firm” (which is how the Royal Family refers to itself and the institution) which is estimated to contribute over $2 billion a year to the U. K. economy or the business impact of a change in the ruling monarch (for example, changing the image on currency). Or, at least, some sarcastic comment about how King Charles certainly had long enough to prepare for the role. But the last thing she expected was bullet points of the important lessons to be learned from the new monarch.
BLACK’S LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM KING CHARLES III:
- Be patient
- Prepare for the job you want – not the one you have
- If others undervalued you, realize that may be their shortcoming
- You can pick your friends, but not your family
- You will be judged by the company you keep (and the people you marry)
- If you do not like how people see you, show another side of yourself
- Manners and decorum never go out of style
- You may be in the public eye, but some things are best kept private
- It is always essential to have a succession plan
- Find humor in the everyday things
Regardless of your opinion of the monarch and the Royal Family, the crown rests on the head of a soft-spoken, wise man who has spent his entire life preparing for this role. And although Queen Elizabeth II was more than a queen, she was a symbol of royal perfection, we live in a very different world … yet that doesn’t change the fact the King is still his mother’s son.
Long before we had an ABOUT page, readers met Black through the back flap of our bestselling book, What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired!and Got Fired! But a lot has happened since Neiman Marcus launched our book, including countless Red & Black adventures and detours.
Surprisingly, little about Black has changed.
WHAT WE SAID THEN
Black picked the photo, and our book editor summarized Black in about 80 words:
Black is all business. With an MBA in international Finance, she retired before she was 40 from a successful career in the oil and gas industry. She has been involved with The Make-A-Wish Foundation for over 20 years and has raised over $1 million. But without a day job, her life did not provide enough excitement and challenge, so she began racing cars. Black, the ultimate pragmatic, lives in Houston where she approaches everything with high-speed intensity and determination.
WHAT WE DIDN’T KNOW THEN …
We knew Black was all business. We didn’t know that, instead of becoming the basis of a sitcom, our book would take us into the world of education … and then criminal justice.
We knew racing would always be part of Black’s story. We didn’t know that her experiences racing Porsches and Ferraris would inspire countless car and racing analogies about navigating life.
We knew Make-A-Wish mattered to her. We probably should have known that she would still be involved decades later, and that the amount she has raised would continue to grow (it’s now approaching $2 million).
And we described Black as “the ultimate pragmatic.” Well, no update required.
AND THERE’S A STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO …
We have no shortage of stories, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that this isn’t just an ordinary photo. It was taken by artist and sculptor Fletcher Benton in 2003, when he came to cheer Black on during the Ferrari Challenge races at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.
So, how did an internationally recognized artist end up at one of Black’s races? Although neither of them knew it at the time, years earlier, Fletcher and Black had both been racing at the same Porsche event. But they didn’t actually meet until Black started collecting art and spotted his race car at his studio.
And that may be the real story behind the photo — how so many seemingly separate parts of Black’s life have ended up connecting.
A lot has changed since 2009. Black being Black isn’t one of those things.
Long before we had an ABOUT page, readers met Red not only through the back flap of our bestselling book, What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired!, but because her crisis was the book’s title! But a lot has happened since Black turned her crisis into a book — a brand — a business. Including a lot of growing up.
And Red? Still warm and fuzzy. Just a lot less sheltered.
WHAT WE SAID THEN
When we started working on the book, Red couldn’t find a photo of her and the girls, so they posed for one in the fall of 2004. Later, our book editor captured Red this way:
After getting a degree in Theater Arts, Red moved back in with her parents until she married an outgoing Englishman and followed his career around the globe. Now she lives in Sugar Land, a suburban city on the outskirts of Houston, Texas. Red is a warm and fuzzy mom whose life revolves around her two red-headed girls. With Red, it's all about the feelings.
WHAT WE DIDN’T KNOW THEN …
We knew Red was used to letting others take the lead. We didn’t know that once she took control, she’d discover how much she was capable of.
We knew her life revolved around her two red-headed girls. We didn’t know how much growing up was still ahead — for them and for Red.
We knew Red had learned a lot when her husband got fired. We probably should have known she’d want to use what she learned to help others.
And we described Red as “warm and fuzzy” and “all about the feelings. ”Still true. She’s just learned that sometimes warm and fuzzy isn’t enough.
AND THERE’S A STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO …
What makes this seemingly ordinary photo remarkable? Red’s in front of the camera!
She was almost always the one behind the camera, so when we needed a photo of her for the book, it had to be staged. In fact, she’s not even sure who took the photo.
At the time, it was simply a photo we needed. Looking at it now, it’s more than that. It captured Red in the middle of the life she’d always dreamed about — and when her girls were still young and being their mom was the center of her world.
She knew they would grow up. She just didn’t know how quickly that picture would become a memory.
A lot has changed since that photo was taken. Including Red.