Britain’s King Charles surprised Holocaust survivors at a Hanukkah reception in north London on Friday and joined a group that included Anne Frank’s step-sister on the dance floor for a round of the hora.
The visit was part of the British monarch’s tour of the JW3 community center, as the royal family seeks to stick to routine and remain silent over the second half of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s Netflix documentary series, which made hard-hitting claims against the royal family.
While touring JW3, the king met with a group of girls packing Christmas packages for asylum seekers, stopped by a hair and beauty course for Orthodox students and was shown the kitchen where volunteers and refugees were preparing food packages for the needy.
He was also fascinated by a krav maga self-defense class taking place down the hall, the UK Jewish News reported.
Charles then made his way to a Hannukah tea reception JW3 was holding for Holocaust survivors, who were only informed ahead of time that a surprise guest would be joining them.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
The king mingled with the delighted survivors before joining several of them on the dance floor. He told one of those present that the Jewish music played during the hora reminded him of Scottish country dancing, the Jewish News said.
Britain’s King Charles III dances during a visit to the JW3 Jewish community centre in London, Friday Dec. 16, 2022, as the Jewish community prepares to celebrate Chanukah. (Ian Vogler/Pool via AP)
Among those who danced with the king was 93-year-old Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s step-sister and a Nazi concentration camp survivor.
“He was sweet. He really took part. He seemed to enjoy it,” she told the Telegraph.
WATCH The Dancing King ???? as His Majesty King Charles gets into the groove during a visit to @JW3London today. Keep calm, carry on and keep dancing ???????? pic.twitter.com/KUrdjgoqGf
— Roya Nikkhah (@RoyaNikkhah) December 16, 2022
She then lamented antisemitism in England, and expressed hope that Charles would help improve the situation for Jews in the country.
The king was presented with a menorah bearing the inscription, “One person’s candle provides the light to many.”
Britain’s King Charles III reacts after receiving a menorah during his visit to the facilities of JW3, a Jewish community centre that is open to all faiths, and acts as a hub for the arts, culture, social action and learning, in London, on December 16, 2022. (Ian Vogler / POOL / AFP)
Earlier Friday, Charles visited the headquarters of Community Security Trust, a charity that works to boost security for the UK’s Jewish community. There, he sat in on a self-defense training session and visited the CST’s control center.
Business as usual
The JW3 tour came after the release of the final three episodes of the Netflix series on Harry and Meghan’s bruising encounters with the British media, the royal “firm,” the family and its staff.
In three hour-long episodes released Thursday, Harry claimed his brother Prince William screamed at him during a family meeting and accused palace officials of lying to protect his elder sibling, who is now heir to the throne. Meghan talked about wanting to end her life as she struggled to cope with toxic press coverage.
Harry, a grandson of the late Queen Elizabeth II, married US actress Meghan Markle in a fairy-tale wedding at Windsor Castle in 2018. Less than two years later the couple left Britain, citing what they saw as the media’s racist treatment of Meghan and a lack of support from the palace.
Britain’s King Charles III speaks with volunteers and members of staff cooking during his visit to the facilities of JW3, a Jewish community center that is open to all faiths, and acts as a hub for the arts, culture, social action and learning, in London, on December 16, 2022. (Ian Vogler / POOL / AFP)
Neither Buckingham Palace, which represents the king, nor William’s Kensington Palace office has commented on the series.
There were no dissenting views in the documentary, which included interviews with the couple and supportive friends and commentators.
Hours after the final episodes were released, senior royals put on a show of unity, attending a Christmas charity concert in London on Thursday evening. William, his wife Kate and their two elder children, George and Charlotte, were joined at the Westminster Abbey carol concert by King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla and other family members.
Israeli politics told straight
I joined The Times of Israel after many years covering US and Israeli politics for Hebrew news outlets.
I believe responsible coverage of Israeli politicians means presenting a 360 degree view of their words and deeds – not only conveying what occurs, but also what that means in the broader context of Israeli society and the region.
That’s hard to do because you can rarely take politicians at face value – you must go the extra mile to present full context and try to overcome your own biases.
I’m proud of our work that tells the story of Israeli politics straight and comprehensively. I believe Israel is stronger and more democratic when professional journalists do that tough job well.
Your support for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community helps ensure we can continue to do so.
Thank you,
Tal Schneider, Political Correspondent
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You’re a dedicated reader
That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRpbWVzb2Zpc3JhZWwuY29tL2tpbmctY2hhcmxlcy1kYW5jZXMtaG9yYS13aXRoLWhvbG9jYXVzdC1zdXJ2aXZvcnMtYXQtbG9uZG9uLWpld2lzaC1jb21tdW5pdHktY2VudGVyL9IBdmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRpbWVzb2Zpc3JhZWwuY29tL2tpbmctY2hhcmxlcy1kYW5jZXMtaG9yYS13aXRoLWhvbG9jYXVzdC1zdXJ2aXZvcnMtYXQtbG9uZG9uLWpld2lzaC1jb21tdW5pdHktY2VudGVyL2FtcC8?oc=5
