Intimate new pictures of His Majesty King Charles III’s Chanukah visit to the Community Security Trust and JW3 show a different side to the monarch.
Pictures shared with the JC show a “fun, spontaneous, and interested” King happily chatting with members of the community.
Blake Ezra, who was photographer on the day and who has a long history of photographing the royal family, told the JC: “I think some people had concern that Charles’s fun and spontaneous personality would not carry over as Monarch, but on that day it was evident that that side of him has, if anything, actually increased.
“He’s always been very present and interested in what’s around him. I think he’s acutely aware that for people meeting him it’s quite a momentous occasion, so he makes sure to give everyone enough time individually and to ask pertinent questions, he takes his time with everyone.
“I think he was extremely impressed by the sheer amount of what goes on in the JW3 building, and by the diversity present, both in terms of demographics and activities on offer,” Blake Ezra said.
HM King Charles III was received by Camden’s deputy lieutenant Roxane Zane and JW3 founder Dame Vivien Duffield, before being escorted into the building by JW3 chief executive Raymond Simonson, December 16, 2022 (Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
King Charles with JW3 chief executive Raymond Simonson (Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
The King met with local students who were wrapping gifts to be donated by JW3 volunteers within the surrounding community for Chanukah and Christmas celebrations.
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
King Charles with JW3 founder Dame Vivien Duffield DBE (Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
The King in the JW3 kitchen, meeting volunteers preparing meals for the centre’s food bank programme (Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
JW3’s food bank programme has delivered the equivalent of 275,000 meals across Camden since it was set up in 2020.
The King was also welcomed on the day by Community Security Trust (CST) Chairman Gerald Ronson CBE and Deputy Chairman, Sir Lloyd Dorfman CBE in their North London headquarters.
The King viewed a self-defence training session, visited CST’s 24/7 security control centre; and was briefed on the full range of CST's many activities, including support for the victims of antisemitism, expert online investigative research against terrorism, and the sharing of security advice with other faith and minority communities.
The King was reportedly fascinated by seeing lessons of krav maga being taught in the centre, the Israeli martial art of self-defence (Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
Sir Lloyd Dorfman CVO CBE said it had been a “privilege” to host the King and to discuss with him the work of CST and what it takes to protect British Jews, while CST’s Chairman Gerald Ronson CBE said: “The visit of His Majesty the King is a tribute to everything that CST does in protection of our Jewish communities.”
The King arrived at a reception hosted for 25 Holocaust survivors, even joining them and their carers in a dance as Oseh Shalom played on in the background (Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
King Charles (Photo: Blake Ezra Photography)
Dame Vivien Duffield gifted the King a Chanukiah as he unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the visit (Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
King Charles meets a Shoah survivor (Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
(Credit: Blake Ezra Photography)
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