Living From Royal Identity

In the book The Prince and the Pauper, Mark Twain tells the tale of Edward Tudor, heir to the English throne, who suddenly finds himself living among the poor after switching places with a beggar boy who looks just like him—Tom Canty (perhaps what we’d call a true doppelganger!). At first, the switch might have been a quick experiment to experience life as an ordinary boy, but whatever the reason, events forced both boys to remain in their swapped roles for much longer than expected. What follows is more than a case of mistaken identity—it’s a revealing picture of how true sonship must be rooted deeply enough to withstand misunderstanding, injustice, and mockery.

As Edward walks through the streets of London in rags, he is repeatedly ridiculed, beaten, and disbelieved. He is treated as mad when he claims to be the Prince of Wales. A man who encounters him calls him “a poor lad with empty dreams,” and he is even arrested and nearly hanged. Yet despite his harsh treatment and humiliating circumstances, Edward never stops asserting who he truly is:

“I tell you I am the Prince of Wales! My father is the King! I am no beggar-boy!”

This steadfastness is remarkable. Though no one recognizes him, and he possesses nothing outward to validate his claim—no garments, no title, no royal court around him—he holds fast to his identity. More than that, he lives from it. Edward continues to speak and act like royalty, even making promises of future reward to those who help him, including the kind-hearted Miles Hendon. At one point, he even declares with confidence:

“When I am King, I will not forget thee.”

These moments echo something deeply spiritual for us as followers of Jesus. In Christ, we have been given a new identity—sons and daughters of God, co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Yet, like Edward, we often find ourselves in a world that does not see our royalty. We may wear the “rags” of suffering, rejection, or spiritual obscurity, and the enemy will whisper, “You’re just a beggar. Who do you think you are?”

But the Father is seeking to form in us the same kind of unshakable sonship that was embodied in Christ, and reflected in Edward. Consider Jesus, who heard the voice of the Father at His baptism—“You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased”—and then was led into the wilderness to be tested. Like Edward, Jesus had no outward signs of royalty in that desert, but He was secure in who He was. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”— 1 John 3:1

Edward’s unwavering confidence—though mistaken for madness—teaches us that our spiritual identity must be so deeply rooted that it endures ridicule, trials, and contradiction. His inner reality shaped his outer response. He showed mercy, made judgments, and carried himself with honor. Likewise, sonship is not merely a status; it’s a way of being that reflects the heart of the King.

“Royalty is in my blood. I am not one of you.”— The Prince and the Pauper

This echoes the words of Scripture in 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…”  Even in suffering, Edward does not attempt to become a prince—he already is one. In the same way, we don’t strive to become children of God—we are in Christ. The work of the Spirit is to align our thinking, feeling, and living with that truth.

Becoming Who We Already Are

When Edward finally returns to the throne, he rules with compassion and wisdom, having experienced the pain and injustice of those beneath him. His suffering refined him and prepared him to reign.

God often forms His sons and daughters in hiddenness before He reveals them in fullness. Our royalty may not be seen by those around us. But the Father’s declaration over us is louder than the world’s rejection. His voice is the anchor of our identity. Like Edward, may we learn to say with conviction, not based on our circumstances but on the Father’s word:

“I am a child of the King. I will not forget who I am.”

Let us walk in that truth—not for identity, but from it—until the day our true identity is fully revealed (Colossians 3:3–4), and the world sees the glory of the sons and daughters of God.