Two books for Prince Harry
Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, was in and around New Zealand last week. He ended his travels in Auckland and played a football match with the youth team of New Zealand at the Cloud Building. As he exited the building, throngs of excited Aucklanders waited to catch a glimpse of him, take a photo, and even possibly shake his hand. There was certainly a great feeling of admiration for this prince.
As a former British resident, I’d seen the royal family going to Windsor Castle to attend Sunday Services. My brother was a chorister for the Queen thirty years ago. Harry would not have been much older then five then. Later, when I was ten, at Windsor I’d also had a slight personal connection with the family, because I had the opportunity to present the Queen with a bouquet. She kindly received the flowers and said, “How lovely.”
Now, thirty years later, along with another member of the Hare Krishna Movement, I was given an opportunity to meet one of these blue bloods again. This time I was concerned to make more of a difference.
I clutched a Bhagavada-gita by Prabhupada, and I had a plan what I would say if the opportunity arose for me to present it to him. When Harry came out of the Cloud, he gave each person he contacted some quality time and spoke a few gentle and polite words, shook hands, and posed for a picture or two. One lady asked him to autograph a picture she had of Lady Diana, his late mother.
My friend Munjaranya Dasi, who was standing in the line opposite me, thrust a Chant and be Happy into his hand and received a handshake. Because of the overcrowding, she thought he’d not even seen her, but he took the book after she called out, “Harry, this book is for you”.
Although I was on the side opposite to where he was, I was praying that he’d come over to meet us. To our joy, the Supersoul guided him straight over to near where I stood. I began to get to the front of the crowd and prepared myself with a focused mind to give him a book about Lord Krishna. He was grateful and happy to meet me. I enthusiastically told him of the connection we’d had over thirty years ago at Windsor Castle.
He seemed surprised to meet me so far away in New Zealand, so I told him that this book is the reason I’d moved from the UK.
“It’s magic,” I told him, “please read it, too.”
He politely shook my hand and received the book.
Later, I read in an interview that Prince Harry will share his gifts that he received on his recent visit to New Zealand with his family in the UK. We hope they read some of the books.
Your servant,
Sandrananda Dasi
