Last weekend’s coronation of the King may have seen you waving your flags, demanding a republic, or somewhere along the spectrum of thoughts and reactions in between. Everyone’s opinion is of course respected.
One aspect of King Charles’ ascendancy to the throne that interests me is the later life transition he is making. Clearly, he’s had a very long time to prepare for the role, especially given he was born into it. People have speculated over the years whether he might step aside and let his son succeed the late Queen Elizabeth; however, it transpired he was determined to fulfil his destiny. Or perhaps giving Prince William more time outside that lofty regal spotlight. For the rest of us, whose paths in life are rarely dictated by birth, we make our choices and often take twists and turns enroute to find our purpose and destination. I’ve been round the odd hairpin bend myself.
I believe the best outcome in life is to find the best way to use your unique set of talents and gifts, whether that be as a sportsperson or soldier, parent or planner, teacher or trusted adviser. Prior to becoming King Charles, the former Prince of Wales decided he could use his interest in nature and his position of privilege to be an environmental and climate campaigner. His efforts in this regard have been widely praised.
At the age of just 21, he warned the people responsible for Welsh countryside management about the risk of air, sea, and river pollution. In 2013, he made a speech about “the international association of corporate lobbyists” who had turned the planet into a “dying patient”. Crucially, he didn’t just talk the talk, he also walked the royal walk, transforming his Highgrove estate into a haven for organic farming and leant his support to many environmental charities and campaigners.
Tony Juniper, former director of Friends of the Earth and now chair of Natural England, called the King “the most significant environmental figure in history.”
As King, tradition suggests Charles III should make his personal views less public, although there were many references to the natural world during his Coronation concert last weekend.
But rather than dwelling on whether this one man (albeit an influential one) will or will not keep up the environmental and climate campaigning, we should rather be thinking about how we can best use our own gifts and talents to preserve our natural world and liveable climate. For me, it’s a mix of practical personal solutions and my professional efforts to help clients build sustainable, environmentally conscious wealth. Some efforts will be modest and others monumental. Some will be part of a gradual, mainstream adjustment to a greener economy and society, and others will be original and ground-breaking.
Everyone’s effort counts. Like the King, our planet Earth with its natural riches has waited a long time for us to pay homage to it. It’s time for us all to consider how we can best serve her and therein serve ourselves.
The shadow of the future is long.
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King Charles III coronation: What Britain’s new monarch means for the environment | Euronews
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
