King Charles III continued his longstanding efforts to promote cross-community cohesion by meeting with prominent leaders from various faith groups at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. This meeting, held in the run-up to Easter, included leaders from the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faiths who are alumni of the Windsor Leadership Trust
The faith leaders had previously gathered at St. George’s House at Windsor Castle in February for The Faith Leaders’ Forum, where they shared their experiences of leading in their communities. King Charles met with a selection of these leaders to hear about their participation in the forum and its impact on promoting community harmony and understanding.
Today, His Majesty The King was joined by Community and Faith Leaders, who are alumni of the Windsor Leadership Trust, at Buckingham Palace.The King heard about their involvement in The Faith Leader's Forum where they had an opportunity to openly share their experiences of… pic.twitter.com/zkKwTM00pt
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 26, 2024
"Today, His Majesty The King was joined by Community and Faith Leaders, who are alumni of the Windsor Leadership Trust, at Buckingham Palace," The Royal family official X account announced on Tuesday.
"The King heard about their involvement in The Faith Leader's Forum where they had an opportunity to openly share their experiences of leading in their communities at a time of heightened international tensions," the Royal Family concluded on X.
Who represented the Jewish community?
The representative of the Jewish community was Ari Jesner, chief of staff of UK's Chief Rabbi.
This commitment to interfaith dialogue has been a central part of King Charles's work even before his accession to the throne, highlighted by his effort to ensure all major religions were represented at his coronation in May 2023.The meeting also marked King Charles’s first, yet small, public appearance since his daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, revealed her cancer diagnosis, underscoring the familial and national challenges the royal family is navigating.
Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday that Charles, 75, and his wife Queen Camilla will attend church on March 31, typically an occasion for a gathering of senior royals.
The Easter service this year will be smaller in scale due to the king's health, Buckingham Palace said.
Kate and heir to the throne Prince William will not attend, their office had already announced.
Since his diagnosis, Charles has cut back his public appearances as he receives treatment. He missed Commonwealth Day celebrations earlier in March, an absence from what is a significant occasion in the British monarchy's annual calendar.
But he appears to be gradually stepping up his public engagements.