Advice on making one happy

One can't be expected to know how to properly behave in all social situations.  You might address your questions about sticky social or personal problems to someone like Miss Manners, but really, why settle for a poor substitute when there is a higher authority?  In the lovely little book How the Queen Can Make You Happy, author Mary Killen looks to her majesty for lessons on how we can all live happier, more fulfilled lives.

During her more than 60 years on the throne, the Queen has had to perform enough public duties to take the tarnish off anyone's crown.  Even today, she has more than 370 public engagements every year and receives over 50,000 official guests at Buckingham Palace.  She also has a stack of official papers to read every day.  Yet throughout it all, she maintains an air of dignity and contentment.  How can this (now elderly) lady maintain such a full schedule and do it so well?  By looking at the actions of her majesty, as well as what little information has leaked out from acquaintances about her personal life, the author gives us a glimpse into what makes this remarkable lady perform her duties so graciously year after year in the public eye.

The advice is divided into such subjects as Compartmentalization, Frugality, Rising Above Things and Mystique.  In the chapter on Compartmentalization, the author recalls the Queen's absolute attention to duty, no matter what else might be going on at the time.  The ability to focus on the job at hand, without worrying about past or future problems, is something the Queen has been able to perfect to a remarkable degree.  The author points out that on the day her sister, Princess Margaret, passed away, the Queen continued with her official duties (although she did change to a black frock to mark the somber occasion).  We also learn that the secret to the Queen's vitality is her regular dining habits, as well as a dedication to walking and riding, no matter what the weather.  Sticking to a regular schedule, whether that involves eating, vacationing or entertaining, keeps you from having to worry about details.

Of course, a great deal is also mentioned about the public nature of the Queen's life, something most of us (thankfully) never have to worry about.  Great attention has been paid to ensure that the Queen will not be caught out in unfortunate situations.  For instance, she eats very little at public occasions (refusing samples when touring food establishments, something I would find very difficult!), has weights or linings sewn into her dresses to thwart inopportune gusts of wind and doesn't sit at formal functions.  She also has famously refused to give personal interviews or public opinions on subjects, so that her viewpoints and biases have remained mysterious.  This has helped to maintain the admiration of the public for her quiet, noble presence (a lesson her relatives unfortunately haven't always mastered!).

The Queen is happy because her life is very structured, she finds contentment in her service to others and she can concentrate her efforts on being in the moment and making each person feel important and valued.  The advice in this book can help all of us to have a more dignified, content outlook, which will surely help us rule our own "palaces" more gracefully.

The book also contains black and white photos between chapters of the Queen appearing on the stamps of various commonwealth countries throughout the years.  I really enjoyed reading the book, and learning some of the personal anecdotes about the Queen, her marriage and Prince Phillip (who comes across as a very sympathetic figure, something that hasn't happened a lot recently!).

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of How the Queen Can Make You Happy from Independent Publisher's Group in exchange for this review

Final Verdict for How the Queen Can Make You Happy:  Four Gherkins, for being a helpful look at how to achieve a regal happiness in your own life

Read More

Queen and Country celebrates 60 years on the throne

As everyone has surely noticed by now, 2012 marks the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth's reign on the British throne.  Not only is that the second longest reign in history, but at 86, the Queen shows no signs of slowing down her demanding schedule of official engagements. 

Sundays in July, PBS will be showing  Queen and Country, a four part series showcasing the queen's 60 years on the throne.  Thanks to WNET, I was able to view the first two episodes of the series, and they are wonderful!  The program really brings a lot of perspective to the relationship between the Queen (and the monarchy in general) and the British people and why she is more popular than ever.

Episode One (airing July 1), is titled London: Royal City and documents the Queen's relationship to the city.  Although she spent most of her youth at Windsor, the Queen has spent the majority of her years on the throne at Buckingham Palace.  In this episode, it is mentioned that Prince Charles has spoken of moving his court to Windsor when he takes over as king, but commentators feel that because of the close connection between the royal family and London that this is unlikely.  The episode goes on to show the military regiments that have the official duty of guarding the Queen and Buckingham Place.  The soldiers are all active duty, so they could be getting ready to serve in combat zones, or recently returned from one.  They are all unanimous in their dedication to the job and their appreciation of the honor that such a position holds.  The narrator of the series, Sir Trevor McDonald, points out that the Queen is greatly revered for "never having put a foot wrong" during her public life.  Most of this is due to the fact that the Queen has never been interviewed, and only gives official speeches.  While the Queen is often photographed greeting and talking with people who come out to see her, there is even an unofficial rule that you never disclose what the Queen said to you!  This air of dignity and mystery has helped to ensure that the Queen's popularity has never wavered.

Episode Two (airing July 8) is Royal Visit and highlights the many official duties that the Queen has undertaken, starting from about 3 weeks after ascending to the throne in 1952 and continuing on to the present day.  This episode shows archival footage of the Queen visiting a Scottish mine early in her reign, opening a museum in Liverpool late in 2011 and naming the Cunard ship the Queen Elizabeth in 2010.  During her 60 years as Queen, she has hosted 102 state visits in London, met 12 US presidents, and kept up a non-stop calendar of official visits in Britain.  In 2011 alone, she had 325 engagements in Britain and 45 overseas.  That would be exhausting for anyone, but the Queen continues to take her duties seriously -- at an age when most people have long since retired!  People still turn out in masses at every event, in hopes of getting a chance to chat with (or even catch a glimpse of) her.  This episode also shows the Queen's great love of Scotland, which she has visited more than 70 times. Every year she spends part of her time at Balmoral and attends the Braemar Gathering (formerly known as the Highland Games) and presents trophies to the winners of the events.Pretty impressive for a lady who has said that if she wasn't the Queen, she'd like to be living out in the country with a lot of horses and dogs! 

The remaining episodes include The Queen's Possessions (July 15) and Traveller (July 22).  I am looking forward to watching them to learn more about this remarkable lady!  Do check your local PBS station for the time that this fascinating program will air in your area.

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of the first two episodes of Queen and Country for the purpose of this review.

Read More