Inspired by the Classics: A Touch of Royalty

With the passing of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II last week I have been enjoying reading many bloggers reflections and thoughts on the lessons that we can learn from this stately and dignified woman. I wanted to share my thoughts too, but wondered if I could say it as eloquently as others already have. Instead, I thought I would reflect on some other classic stories and movies that bring a touch of royalty into our lives and how they can influence us to live our lives with class and elegance. Royals have always held a certain fascination for us, whether it be glimpses into their human, mortal side, or our ongoing attraction to kalokagathia, which Bryan Kozlowski describes in his 2020 book Long Live the Queen: 23 Rules for Living from Britain's Longest Reigning Monarch, as being "an ideal of personal grace and beauty, believed to be the birthright of the high born, which often inspired yearnings of excellences in lesser mortals." And it is this kalokagathia that I want to explore here today. 

Roman Holiday 

I have shared my thoughts on Audrey Hepburn's classic movie, Roman Holiday here but I thought it was worth re-mentioning from this regal perspective. Hepburn's character, Princess Ann shows great devotion and dignity throughout the movie. We see her human side, when she becomes overwhelmed by the role that she must live, but she comes to terms with her duty, carefully replaces her crown and carries on. This is a very British-monarchy attitude. How many slip-ups have we witnessed in the British royal family over the years (clear signs that they too are human), yet the Queen has always managed to step up and retain her dignity. Just like Queen Elizabeth, Princess Ann understands the role that she was born into and after some rather deep soul-searching commits herself to it fully. I suppose us non-royals could look at our lives in a similar fashion. What are we committing ourselves to? Are we fully committed? Do we need to make sacrifices and are we okay with that? I know that in our current society, the idea of making sacrifices is regarded as negative, but I disagree. Sometimes, when something is very important to us, we do need to make sacrifices. But there is no use in doing this if we are going to be bitter and resentful about it. We always have a choice in how we choose to live our lives and once this choice is made we should be as cheerful and dignified about it as we can, and move on. 

The Lion King 

This Disney classic is one of my favourites and I'm sure most of you - if not all of you - will know it. To me, this movie represents family and responsibility; knowing where you came from and how this contributes to who you are today. Now, I'm not saying that the past should define us, but by understanding our past and the family members who came before us, we are in a better position to choose the kind of person we want to be. When Simba is forced to confront his uncle Scar and accept the responsibility of being king, we see him address the issues of the past that held him back for so long, but he refuses to let them bear a negative impact on his life anymore. He recognises the duty and responsibility that he was born into, and he steps out of being immature and selfish and into a role of maturity and responsibility. This movie also reminds us to give back to our world, to keep it in balance and to be part of the circle of life. If our monarch, or our leaders, fail to do this, then it makes it very hard for the rest of us to make the right choices. Here, we can see how important it is for our leaders to make important and significant stands to protect our world and all that live in it; for by doing so, it is that much easier for the rest of us to follow suit. We should all be responsible for our own actions but when we see that responsibility being played out at the very highest level, we are inspired to do the same: kalokagathia. 

The King and I (or Anna and the King of Siam ~ Margaret Landon)

 I haven't read Landon's semi-biographical novel of Anna and the King of Siam, but I have seen the 1956 movie The King and I, starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. In my opinion, the regal themes we can take away from this adaptation are those of truth, honesty and education. The King of Siam employs Anna Leonowens as a schoolteacher for his many children and wives. She brings with her quite modern and often times controversial opinions and isn't afraid to voice them. However, they are both in agreement that truth and honesty are the finest qualities in a monarch - indeed in anyone - and education is a way to achieve such qualities. Both the King and Anna are quite strong characters, determined and even stubborn in their convictions and beliefs. The cultural clash that exists between them is sometimes bridged by their belief in education, and we see them build a level of respect and admiration for each other. 

Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 

A Scandal in Bohemia shows us how easy it is for royalty to fall in love with us common folk. I think the more that this is represented in fiction, the more we continue to hope that it may happen to us one day. Being Australian, I am a big fan of Princess Mary and Prince Frederik of Denmark but I certainly would not want to be in her shoes! Anyway, in this Sherlock Holmes case the king of Bohemia (a fictional European monarchy) falls in love with an American woman, Irene Adler. When this king calls upon Holmes for his help in retrieving some "compromising letters" and photographs from Adler, we once again see the way in which the royalty interacts with the general public (if we could call Sherlock "general public.")

The king is referred to as a man of strong character, Herculean in size, with an air of resolute obstinacy about him. However, his past indiscretions run the risk of bringing his reputation into disrepute. What can we learn from this fun, little Holmes story? I suppose, first and foremost, be very careful whom you trust, especially if you are in the delicate position of being royalty. Sometimes we are keen to overshare, and I think social media and bloggers/vloggers and other content creators have a big part to play in this. There is no need for us to repeat the mistakes of the King of Bohemia and many others before (and after) him. We can be discreet about who we are, where we live, whose company we enjoy and so on. We can cultivate a royal air of mystery about us so that we don't find ourselves in a compromising position in the future. In all seriousness, identity fraud is a very dangerous issue and I think we can link this to the fact that many of us really do overshare on these modern platforms. Be discreet, and think twice before you share any photos or information in writing (even if you think you are sharing to someone in private). 

A Little Princes ~ Frances Hodgson Burnett 

Whilst the titular character, little Sara Crewe is not technically a princess, there is so much for us to gain from her regal behaviour and attitude. Sara is bright, generous and adored by her father who indulges her every whim (yet, she still remains humble and quietly dignified). Her father enrols her in Miss Michin's Seminary for girls, where she is pampered like a princess due to her father's devotion and a large helping of his money. However, when he dies overseas we experience Sara's fall from grace with her. We too, are locked in the attic, forced to wear thredbare clothes and worked from dawn til night like a workhorse. However, Sara's quiet attitude of optimism, generosity and kindness never wavers. The few things she does have, she is willing to share with others; her stories, her imagination, little cakes. From this 1905 classic we are reminded that no matter where we come from, no matter how humble we may end up in life, an attitude of generosity, positivity and the belief that we can all be royal on the inside, will take us far. 

The Odyssey ~ Homer

How could I not include this wonderful royal classic from Homer? Written nearly three thousand years ago, it deals with the very human warrior and king, Odysseus as he undertakes an epic journey to return home to Ithaca after the decade long Trojan War.  Although the way Odysseus lives on his journey isn't exactly inspiring, that of his wife, Penelope, still in Ithaca is. She demonstrates hospitality and preparedness. A number of suitors (believing Odysseus to be dead and wanting to marry Penelope) have taken up residence at the palace in their pursuit of the queen. Penelope is patient with them (more patient than I would be!), and she keeps her house so well stocked that she is able to feed them all and keep the house in a state of perpetual hospitality. Now, she doesn't necessarily do this herself (what queen cleans??), but the fact is that it is important that order and preparedness is maintained - with or without the king in the house. She does not let the house go to ruin, even though her husband has been gone for twenty years. She raises her son diligently and he grows into a thoughtful and admirable young man. She does her duty. I have heard those words so many times since the passing of Queen Elizabeth and recognise it as another one of those examples of kalokagathia. 

The Little Prince ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Are you familiar with de Saint-Exupery's delightful little prince? It is one of the most widely published and read books in the world. The reader first meets the prince when the narrator, a pilot. crash lands his aeroplane in the desert. The little prince appears as if from nowhere and begins a conversation. We then learn about his travels from his own tiny planet to where he is now. The little prince discusses beautifully the values of friendship and what it means to be lonely. The narrator has always felt a bit at odds with the adults in his life, and forms a deep kinship with the little prince. When the time comes for them to part, the pilot is quite upset. Throughout the book, we are encouraged to look past the material world and into the possibilities of the future and the potential we hold within ourselves. It's such a short, lovely little book that I highly recommend you pick up a copy if you haven't already. 

Macbeth ~ William Shakespeare

Finally, I thought it fitting to end with Shakespeare's famous play Macbeth. I thought about including Hamlet or King Lear instead, but Macbeth has always been one of my favourites. I love the themes of power and greed and how easily they can corrupt. It is a wonderful warning of what a monarch should not be. It's also a powerful reminder not to be too caught up in appearances or status. Who we are on the inside, and not merely the role that we play or inherit is infinitely more important. I think this is what made Queen Elizabeth so special. Who she was on the inside - dutiful, devoted, steady and fair - made her position all the more revered. She had many of her own trials and tribulations to overcome, starting at a very young age, but she met these with dignity and grace, unlike poor old Macbeth. 

I could say a lot more about many of these topics and more that I haven't included here, but I would love to hear from you. What are some of your favourite royal classics? How do you feel about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II? Please share in the comments below!