Access frame attribute from component in multi frame environment

Question

Problem

I have a multi frame environment. Each JFrame has several JComponents, nested in each other. I need to access a global variable of the frame from within some of the embedded components. I can't use static because the static would of course apply to all frames. I can't hand over the frame or a class with the relevant information to all the components (combobox, label, etc).

Current Solution

My current solution is to use a HierarchyListener and once the showing method fires I get access to the JFrame using SwingUtilities.getAncestorOfClass.

Question

Does anyone know of a better solution to get access to a JFrame's attributes from deep inside a component hierarchy? Basically a frame context that all JComponents have access to, but limited to the parent frame. Is there some way using e. g. the EventQueue for that or other indicators?

Code

Here's a MCVE of the current state:

• 2 frames
• a panel embedded in a frame
• panel has a label
• label is set to the frame's title

The code:

public class MyFrame extends JFrame {

    /**
     * Panel with a label which accesses the parent frame's attributes
     */
    public class MyPanel extends JPanel {

        public MyPanel() {

            // set layout and add the label
            setLayout(new FlowLayout());
            final JLabel label = new JLabel("Placeholder");
            add(label);

            // JFrame is null here, can't use this:
            //   JFrame frame = (JFrame) SwingUtilities.getAncestorOfClass(JFrame.class, this);
            //   label.setText(frame.getTitle());

            // but frame can be accessed once the panel got added using a HierarchyListener 
            addHierarchyListener(new HierarchyListener() {

                @Override
                public void hierarchyChanged(HierarchyEvent e) {
                    long flags = e.getChangeFlags();
                    if ((flags & HierarchyEvent.SHOWING_CHANGED) == HierarchyEvent.SHOWING_CHANGED) {

                        // get frame, get title and set title in label
                        JFrame frame = (JFrame) SwingUtilities.getAncestorOfClass(JFrame.class, MyPanel.this);
                        label.setText(frame.getTitle());

                    }
                }
            });
        }
    }

    /**
     * Frame with title which will be used as example about how to access
     * the frame's attributes from a child component
     */
    public MyFrame(String title, int x, int y) {

        // create content panel
        getContentPane().setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        getContentPane().add(new MyPanel(), BorderLayout.CENTER);

        // frame specific code
        setTitle(title);
        setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
        setSize(100, 100);
        setLocation(x, y);
        pack();
        setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {

            @Override
            public void run() {

                JFrame frame1 = new MyFrame("Frame 1", 100, 100);
                JFrame frame2 = new MyFrame("Frame 2", 300, 100);

            }

        });
    }
}