King Charles III on Thursday visited the north London district of Golders Green following a series of antisemitic incidents targeting the area’s large Jewish community.
During the unannounced visit, the British monarch met victims of a recent stabbing attack and reaffirmed his support for the Jewish community, according to a statement shared by the royal family.
Charles met 34-year-old Shloime Rand and 76-year-old Moshe Ben Baila, also known as Norman Shine, at a Jewish charity centre in the area.
Shine, who survived a knife attack on April 29 after being stabbed in the neck in broad daylight, later described the king’s visit as deeply comforting.
“He didn’t let go of my hand. I felt a genuine warmth and concern,” Shine said after the meeting.
Authorities said the suspect, a 45-year-old man reportedly residing in a London mental health facility, has been charged with attempted murder.
The king also met members of the Shomrim volunteer security group, who assisted police in apprehending the suspect following the attack.
The visit comes amid heightened concern over antisemitic incidents in London, including recent arson attacks targeting Jewish organisations and Iranian opposition media outlets in the city.
Charles additionally met representatives of the Hatzola charity, after four of the organisation’s ambulances were destroyed in a fire attack earlier this year.
Residents gathered along the streets of Golders Green to welcome the monarch, with many cheering and expressing gratitude during the visit. Some members of the community presented the king with traditional challah bread.
The monarch was accompanied by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
Following the visit, Mirvis thanked the king for showing solidarity with the Jewish community during a difficult period.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry also expressed concern over rising antisemitism in Britain in an article published Thursday in The New Statesman magazine.
The prince condemned both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, warning against hostility directed at religious communities.
“When anger is turned toward communities — whether Jewish, Muslim, or any other — it ceases to be a call for justice and becomes something far more corrosive,” he wrote.
