King Edward VII of Great Britain was quite fond of hunting. So much so that he ordered the staff at Sandringham House to be set 30 min. ahead so that there would be the perception of additional time for hunting each day. When George V ascended the throne, he kept the tradition; less because of hunting and more because he required that everyone be dressed and on time for dinner. When Edward VIII became King, his very first order immediately following his father’s death was that all the clocks be set back to standard – GMT – time. The lesson that may be drawn here is that Edward started sweeping away his father’s world the very minute that he had the power to do so.

This is exactly what I am trying to avoid in the wake of my mother’s passing. My sainted mother occupied her castle for almost 54 years. During her last year, her health and well-being began to decline precipitously. My brother and I made some minor changes in things simply to adapt to the changed situation. Now that Queen has left her castle, we are making some additional changes here and there but are trying to maintain things as they were for the immediate future. Not because we are afraid to, but because we loved and respected our mother.

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