Prince Harry and Meghan Markle surprise Jewish woman who wished them ‘mazel tov’
When Edna Levi looked through her mail on Sunday, she was shocked to find an envelope delivered from Buckingham Palace
When Edna Levi looked through her mail on Sunday, she was shocked to find an envelope delivered from Buckingham Palace. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the soon-to-be-married British royal couple, had answered her letter.
Levi, who lives outside Leeds and is in her 80s, had sent the couple a note of congratulations after their recent engagement, The Yorkshire Evening Post reported.
“Dear Prince,” Levi, a member of the Leeds Jewish community, had written in her note. “I’m British-born but a member of the Jewish faith and we say Mazel Tov on a happy occasion. This is why I am saying it to you and wishing you well and good health.”
Levi’s sentiments left the British royal and his American actress fiancée “incredibly touched.”
“It really was most thoughtful of you and greatly appreciated,” the couple wrote in response. “His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle send you their warmest thanks and very best wishes.”
Levi was elated to hear back.
“I didn’t think I would get a reply because they must get hundreds of letters sent, so I was thrilled,” she said. “I’ve never written to the royal family before but I like Prince Harry because of the way he looks after charities, he’s a nice, normal young man.”
Last year, several media outlets wrote that Markle’s father was Jewish, repeating a claim made in a British tabloid article. Markle had been married to Jewish film producer Trevor Engelson, but the actress’ publicist confirmed to JTA that she is not a member of the tribe.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
