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.

• 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.