King Charles' accession to the throne has been greeted with acclaim by our community. That acclaim has its roots in the advice given by Jeremiah to the Jews who were taken into Babylonian exile in 586 BC, whom he enjoined to “Pray for the peace of the city in which you dwell...for in its peace is your peace” (29.7). This has traditionally been interpreted as praying for the head of state.
We do not feel we are in exile in Britain, but it is still true that minorities are most secure when the country at large is stable, so we would have pledged loyalty to whoever succeeded Elizabeth II, be it Prince Charles or anyone else.
In today’s world, the monarch does not have a great impact on most people’s lives. Except for rare occasions, such as a royal coronation, funeral or jubilee, few people are even aware of their activities.
But whilst the Crown lacks power, it does have influence. Bearing in mind all the negative consequences that could have stemmed from a pro-Nazi sympathiser being on the throne had Edward VIII not abdicated, Charles’ record so far does need scrutiny.
From a purely Jewish point of view, the story looks good. Unlike Elizabeth II he has visited Israel and has a strong sense of its achievements. He has seen how Israelis have made the desert bloom, as well as become a leading force in both the worlds of high-tech and medical innovation.
In Britain, he has visited numerous Jewish institutions and is patron of organisations such as World Jewish Relief and the Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade. He has also shown acute awareness of horrors of the Holocaust and often met survivors.
Earlier this year, for instance, he commissioned portraits of Holocaust survivors to be part of a permanent exhibition at Buckingham Palace, while he recently went to Winchester to unveil the statue of the leading medieval Jewess, Licoricia.
What is more, he has personal connection. For him, contact with Jewish life is not just history but autobiography. His grandmother - Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg - was honoured as a Righteous Gentile for hiding a Jewish family in her home in Athens during the Nazi occupation.
More generally, it is clear that Prince Charles holds an inclusive attitude to British society at large, as indicated by his suggestion in 1994 that he not take the traditional title ‘Defender of the Faith’, but be known as ‘Defender of Faith’.
Whichever version he opts for, there is little doubt that the Coronation ceremony itself will have representatives from other faiths either present or having a role in the ceremony. It will still be a Church of England service, but it will reflect the multi-faith nature of the country over which he is to reign.
Will it just be the Chief Rabbi that is invited or will the list reflect the fact that Jewish life has also changed since his mother’s coronation and that British Jewry is now pluralist rather than monolithic?
His outreach has also included strong links to the Muslim community in Britain, and whilst some may think this might be problematic for Jews, it is not a concern for us.
One of the great developments in religious life in Britain in recent decades has been the growth of inter-faith dialogue, with faiths which were previously either rivals or had no contact with each other now co-existing harmoniously.
This has applied especially to Jewish-Muslim relations and both sides have succeeded in having positive religious links and sharing joint events. Unlike in other countries, rabbis and imams have worked hard not to let the political struggles in the Middle East disrupt life here.
Perhaps the most striking difference between the current and future monarch is that we know so much more about Prince Charles’ views and character. Whereas the Queen keeps her opinions to herself, he has long felt able to hold forth publicly on many issues.
I can also attest to that personally, for when I was awarded the MBE for my work with mixed-faith couples nationally, he was at the presentation ceremony. We had a chat about the subject and his comments made his own position very clear indeed.
In that sense, as far as both Jews and non-Jews are concerned, he is seen as a far more rounded person than the regal but more distant figure projected by the Queen.
Will he become as admired as she was now he is king? There may be a parallel with the time it took for the transformation in popular eyes of Camilla, the Queen Consort, from interloper to stalwart. So, too, the verdict on Charles III will take time to evolve.
What is more certain is that synagogues will commission a new board displaying the Prayer for the Royal Family on their wall. They will also have to print a sticker with revised wording that can be superimposed on the existing text in prayer books.
Jeremiah’s advice will ring out again now we say “Long live the King”.
Jonathan Romain is rabbi of Maidenhead Synagogue and author of The Naked Rabbi (John Hunt Publishing)
