The British Royal Family have been in the news a lot the last while. The past year was very busy with all the events surrounding the Platinum Jubilee and then of course the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Added to that is all the coverage surrounding those who wanted out of the royal family but clearly not out of our line of sight.
I enjoy reading about monarchies from a historical as well as contemporary perspective. I came across an interesting book called Kings and Queens: A Chronicle of History’s Most Interesting Monarchies. The stories dated back centuries to royal houses in Bavaria, Spain, Monaco, Belgian Congo and many others.
Particularly intriguing was the account of King Carol I of Romania. I had the chance to tour Peles Castle in the Carpathian Mountains, constructed as a summer retreat for he and his family. Amongst many of its outstanding features is that it was the world’s first castle fully powered by locally produced electricity and it housed the country’s first movie theatre. Almost half a million visitors each year take in its stunning art, architecture and innovation.
In my last year of university, I had a distant brush with another nation’s royal family when our campus hosted a visit from the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway. They have since become King and Queen, but when they ventured into our Alberta city they were Prince Harald and Princess Sonja, royals-in-waiting for the top job.
Preparing for their visit required months of planning. The maintenance department assessed all buildings that would be visible and the pathways used to get the royal couple around campus. A work list and budget was established and they got to work painting exteriors, fixing sidewalks and upgrading landscaping.
As the weeks progressed, other departments came on board and took care of planning a royal luncheon, hosting a walk-about, as well as a reception for 1000 guests to hear the Prince speak.
The students hired for the summer became part of the team about two weeks before the visit. Our job was security. We quickly learned it wasn't so much about protecting people as it was containing them. We were stationed at one of the cordoned off areas and our task was to keep visitors behind a rope. I fared better than a friend who was also assigned to security. While I was positioned outside where I could see the royal entourage, he was standing guard at one of the public bathrooms which had been repurposed for the day for use solely by the prince and princess.
Many thoughts crossed my mind later on as we sat in the auditorium waiting for the procession that would bring dignitaries to the stage. I reflected on the various places crowds had gathered. Did they have any idea of the planning that went into every moment of the day? Not likely, but what they took in overall was an event that ran smoothly on a campus that looked beautiful because all the details were looked after by a team that few knew anything about.
It can be rather obvious when things don't go quite right, but when it all goes well it just seems so effortless. Yet behind that 'effortless' experience is an incredible amount of work, to be sure. Yet it's not what gets noticed.
As people left the campus that day they were likely talking about the reception, the luncheon, what the princess wore or what the prince said. They probably weren't mentioning the re-vamped walkways or the new exterior on a classroom building, or the strategically placed security team to keep the crowd moving freely. Months of planning, weeks of work, and days of training all came together in an event that ran for just a few hours. But because of all the diligent work that proceeded it, it ran well.
At a debriefing later, the university president extended thanks for what was described as exceptional work. His words made everyone feel valued, regardless how large or small their task may have been.
In contrast to the "notice me and everything I am doing’ attitude that permeates so much of our culture, it is a true joy to work with people committed to a goal regardless how unnoticed their individual contribution may be.
While some may seek to be the king or queen of the ball, it is a lot more fun being the ones in the wings who can dance while no one is looking. Being the centerpiece might satisfy for a short time but it's so much better to look around at a team of people and savor the nobleness of being part of something so much bigger than ourselves. That's my outlook.
