A ROYAL HERITAGE
by penelope carlevato
WWW.PENELOPECARLEVATO.COM
increase in the popularity of the British royal family worldwide, mainly as the new young royals are taking such an active part in the monarchy. Royalty in Britain is thriving. They have become icons of fashion, dining and travel. Their involvement in public events makes them more approachable than the older generation of royals. However, all the wealth and power doesn’t make them immune from life’s trials and tribulations. God in His mercy, gives all of us wisdom, whether royal or not. I think many of us secretly think if we had their wealth and power, our lives would be great. But … not so.
THIS YEAR MARKS THE 66TH ANNIVERSARY OF BRITAIN’S QUEEN ELIZABETH ON THE THRONE. She surpassed Queen Victoria’s
record of 63 years and also holds the title of the oldest living monarch. These kinds of proclamations fascinate me, and I ask myself: “Why I am such a royal fanatic?” I guess it’s because my British mother was a Royalist and, in her lifetime, collected enough magazine articles and newspaper clippings to fill many scrapbooks. I continue to collect articles and books about the royal family, and since my writing mentor suggested I include my English heritage (I was born in England), I took her advice and now include it with my passion for hospitality and history. During the past few years, there has been a huge
30. leadinghearts.com
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5 As we study God’s Word, we find wealth and power are not to be envied. The greatest treasure we can obtain is wisdom. Wisdom helps us make right choices and equips us to handle life’s difficult circumstances. Without wisdom, whatever goals we aspire to achieve will be empty and meaningless. As a young girl, our family took a holiday to England. We spent the summer seeing the country and visiting relatives. One afternoon, we drove to Sandringham House, one of the royal residences. Queen Mary (pictured left), the current queen’s grandmother, was there inspecting some of the business properties on the grounds. We were fortunate to have an unexpected private audience with Queen Mary. As my mother and the Queen were chatting, I remember looking in awe at this stately woman dressed in white. She was regal,
