King Charles made a surprise visit to Golders Green in North London to meet victims of last month's terror attack, demonstrating his support for the Jewish community. The King was greeted with shouts of 'long live the King' as he walked along Golders Green High Street, shaking hands and speaking with well-wishers.
Visit to Jewish Care Centre
During his unannounced visit, Charles went to a Jewish Care charity centre where he met with Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, who were both stabbed in separate incidents on April 29. Rand was attacked as he left a synagogue, while Shine was stabbed at a bus stop. The King was accompanied by Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
The Chief Rabbi told the King that the community 'appreciate it enormously' that he had made the visit. Charles also spoke with members of the Jewish community police force Shomrim, who were involved in responding to the attacks.
Meeting with the Public
After visiting the charity centre, Charles spent around half an hour meeting well-wishers on the high street. Many thanked him for coming, and there were cries of 'long live the King'. One man told Charles he was 'always welcome' in the area. The King replied, 'it's a dangerous world isn't it?' and 'I know' when the man said, 'What happened in Golders Green was horrific.'
Charles told others in the long line of people waiting to see him: 'I hope I haven't disrupted your normal activities too much.'
Prince Harry's Comments on Antisemitism
The King's visit came just hours after his son, Prince Harry, spoke out about the 'deeply troubling' rise in antisemitism in the UK in an opinion piece for The New Statesman. Harry stressed the importance of 'legitimate protest' but argued that 'hatred directed at people for who they are, or what they believe, is not protest. It is prejudice.'
Harry referenced recent 'lethal violence' against the Jewish community in Manchester and London and said that standing on the sidelines allows 'hate and extremism to flourish unchecked.' He also wrote about the 'deep and justified alarm' at the scale of loss in Gaza and Lebanon but urged people to be more 'clear' about where their anger is directed.
