A hearty mazel tov to the Duchess of Cornwall
Last Sunday was the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne. Typically, she marked the occasion by thinking of others — the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Her statement that Camilla should be known as the Queen Consort when Prince Charles becomes King has been widely welcomed, and will be as popular with our community as it has proved everywhere else. She has long been a friend — such as when she visited Jewish Care’s Brenner Stepney Jewish Community Centre and danced to Hava Nagila. We have been blessed to have such a warm and receptive relationship with the Royal Family. As well as the Queen herself, who hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace in 2006 to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the resettlement of the community, the Duke of Edinburgh was a cherished friend. But over many years, Prince Charles has deepened the relationship still further. Last month saw his newly commissioned portraits of survivors exhibited for the first time, and on Thursday he was in Winchester for the unveiling of a statue of Licoricia, a Medieval Jewish figure. He has consistently supported our community, both publicly and behind closed doors, describing his friendship with the late Rabbi Lord Sacks as one of the most meaningful of his life. And, of course, Prince William was the first royal to make an official visit to Israel. For a people forced to flee so many times in our history and subject to the brutality of absolute rulers and dictators, the constitutional monarchy is not just a symbol of safety and tolerance — it is its guarantee. That is just one reason why we say a weekly prayer for the Royal Family in synagogue on Shabbat, and why this week we offer Camilla a hearty mazeltov.
Camilla has long been a friend of our community — such as when dancing to Hava Nagila