King Charles III of England, who was crowned Saturday in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, met Israel's representative to the ceremony, President Isaac Herzog, and talked with him about the situation in Israel, including the legal revolution. Charles encouraged Herzog for his efforts to bring about a compromise on judicial reform, and the president told the king that "Israel is a vibrant democracy."
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Herzog arrived in London together with his wife, Michal, alongside dozens of world leaders who were invited to the coronation ceremony of Charles III. This was the third time Herzog met with Charles since becoming president. The first time was when Herzog took office, when he drove two hours to Charles' private home while on a visit to London. The second time was at Queen Elizabeth's funeral.
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President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal, at the coronation of King Charles
(Photo: Andrew Matthews - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
On Saturday, when the king noticed Herzog, he personally saw to it that the president and his wife were brought to the front of the line, and talked with them about the situation in Israel and the region.
The coronation came hours before about 150,000 people gathered Saturday night in Tel Aviv to protest the legal reform, ahead of the resumption of compromise talks on judicial reform brokered by the president set to resume on Sunday.
Michal Herzog asked the king about his cello playing, and the president and his wife told the king that they had heard from their cousins who live in England that their closest friend was one of Charles's cello teachers – a Jewish women named Naomi. The king smiled broadly and replied: "Naomi was a wonderful teacher." President Herzog said: "That was a few years ago, wasn't it?"
Upon entering Westminster Abbey, the Herzogs also met First Lady of the United States Jill Biden. The three had a warm and cordial conversation. The Herzogs also had a long conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. Michal Herzog spoke at length with Olena Zelenska, wife of the president of Ukraine.
President Herzog sat between the representatives of Ireland and Iceland, since the seating order was alphabetical. In front of him sat the leaders of Germany and Greece. Behind him were the leaders of Moldova, Liberia and Latvia. The area where they sat was dedicated to the great poets of the kingdom and Shakespeare is commemorated at its center.
The coronation ceremony opened with chapter 22 of Psalms: "Let our feet stand at your gates Jerusalem." President Herzog boasted to the world leaders around him that not only is the olive oil from Jerusalem with which Charles was anointed ours, but he also used our Psalms.
Besides Charles, many heads of state were interested in the situation in Israel. Herzog also spoke at the ceremony with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Prince William. He also had a warm conversation with King Abdullah of Jordan, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, the President of the United Arab Emirates, the leader of Dubai and the Princess of Morocco.
The president also met heads of Arab countries that do not maintain relations with Israel. He exchanged handshakes with the Crown Prince of Oman and the Emir of Qatar, and spoke with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Chairman Keir Starmer.
To observe the sanctity of Shabbat, Herzog and his wife walked to the coronation ceremony from a residence near Westminster Abbey. Michal Herzog wore a royal blue suit combined with a white shirt designed for her by Israeli designer Tovale. She wore a hat designed by Israeli designer Keren Wolf.