In celebration of the upcoming royal wedding, I'm writing a limited-edition series, "Why Royal Weddings Matter," for Confluence Daily. I've reprinted one of the columns here...because "kindness" is at the heart of why I began this blog after the election in 2016! Enjoy....
.......................................................
Channeling Kindness
“Well, is he nice?” Meghan Markle asked about Prince Harry of Wales when a well-connected friend offered to arrange a blind date between the two famous thirty-somethings. Only familiar with the royals via media headlines, she explained, everything else about the prince was a moot point for her “if he wasn’t kind.”
As most of the world now knows, the couple got engaged last fall and will marry in May. It appears Meghan, an activist and humanitarian, found a common spirit in her kind-hearted prince. They have already made a dynamic partnership in their altruistic work together focused on the youth of the world. “Meghan is going to be a force,” People magazine reported, citing a palace source. “She will help him define his role and relate to the public in a way that he wouldn’t have been able to do before. It was worth the wait.”
Harry and Meghan want as many people as possible to benefit from the generosity of spirit that bubbles up around wedding celebrations. So, continuing the precedent set by William and Kate (and now the trend with regular couples, who were, in turn, inspired by the young royals), they are asking the public to “channel kindness,” noted Natalie Hinde in Huffington Post, requesting any wedding gifts be made in the form of a donation to one of their personally selected charities—they chose seven “which reflect their shared values.” (Plus, I doubt they really need any household items or another cut crystal bowl!)
Considered a “personal” wedding (distinct from a “state” occasion where it’s appropriate to invite heads of state from around the world), Harry and Meghan’s ceremony is rather small compared to other Windsor weddings. (Only 600 friends and family members received the coveted invitations to attend the wedding service at St. George’s Chapel and following reception. Yet Harry, who remained close to his mother’s family, invited the Spencer clan—Diana’s three siblings and their families—to both wedding and reception, including the evening’s let-your-hair-down party for 200 at Frogmore Hall.) Nonetheless, Harry and Meghan have extended special invitations to almost 2700 people “from every corner of the United Kingdom”—people of all ages and backgrounds who have served their communities, plus members of the royal household—to be part of their wedding by gathering on the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch the comings and goings of the day’s festivities. (I’d like to be part of that group!)
I find it a pleasure to be drawn into the love story of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Given the archetypal nature of royalty, representing something stirring in the collective consciousness, it’s most heartening to know that a deep level of “kindness” is brewing on such a glittering world stage to help counteract the harshness that’s been unleashed in the world of late.
Kindness has indeed taken a hit recently in the rude realm of “trumpery,” but as British novelist Amelia Edith Barr wrote: “Kindness is always fashionable.” Both of Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ sons inherited a tender, thoughtful side from their parents—and both William and Harry attracted life partners who seem to nurture and encourage that tenderness. (The expression “real men are kind” comes to mind!)
“Channel kindness” is an apt directive today—and perhaps a reason so many people are captivated by this vibrant couple who are creating such joy in being in service to others. I say let’s all enjoy and celebrate this royal wedding, immersing ourselves in heart-centered energy—and feel the spirit of kindness rising in the world, then pass it forward.~
[I'm working on a new book, A Memory of Beauty: The Spiritual Mission of a Princess—which explores the transformational nature of kindness. www.CorneliaPowell.com]
