King expresses ‘heartfelt’ good wishes to the Jewish community after 7 October anniversary
King Charles was responding to a missive from the Board of Deputies, bringing the 7 October commemorations to His Majesty's attention
The King has expressed his “heartfelt good wishes” to the Jewish community, with his representatives saying that His Majesty “recalls with great emotion and sadness the events of 7 October 2023”
The message from King Charles came as a response to a message from the President of the Board of Deputies on Wednesday, describing how “as we mark the third anniversary of the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel, a range of events are taking place across the UK to mark this sombre anniversary.
“The Board of Deputies wished to bring these commemorations to The King’s attention and, in so doing, assure His Majesty of the loyalty and affection of the Jewish community together with their profound gratitude for his acts of solidarity.”
In response, His Majesty’s private secretary said: “The King has asked me to thank you for your message of yesterday. His Majesty recalls with great emotion and sadness the events of 7 October 2023. His Majesty has asked me to express his heartfelt good wishes and respect to the Jewish community, who play such an important role in our Nation’s life.”
Since his accession to the throne, the King has regularly expressed support for the Jewish community. While a number of his charity patronages were passed on to other members of the Royal Family when he became king, His Majesty remained a patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. In March of this year, it was announced that the King would become the first royal patron of the Community Security Trust, while in May, in the wake of a series of attacks on the Jewish community, the King came to Golders Green, touring the Jewish care campus before visiting the nearby Grodz bakery.
The Board of Deputies holds the status of a Privileged Body of the Crown, meaning that it has a historic right to present a “loyal address” to the sovereign to mark major milestones, including a coronation or a royal jubilee.