King Charles Becomes Patron of Charity Protecting UK Jewish Communities Hours After Hatzalah Arson Attack
Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla meet staff and gardeners at The Eden Project during an event celebrating its 25th anniversary, in Cornwall, Britain, March 24, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Shepheard/Pool
King Charles III has accepted an invitation to become a patron of the Community Security Trust (CST), a British charity whose mission is to ensure the safety and security of Jewish individuals across the United Kingdom.
The announcement was made at the CST annual fundraising dinner on Monday night in central London. CST said Charles’ acceptance of the position highlights his “longstanding support for the UK’s Jewish community and the wider fight against antisemitism.”
“His Majesty’s longstanding commitment to promoting tolerance, inclusion, and interfaith understanding align closely with CST’s mission to protect British Jews, and CST is honored by this recognition and looks forward to working under His Majesty’s patronage to further its vital work across the country,” CST said in a statement.
Lt Col Johnny Thompson, the king’s senior equerry, attended on the event on Charles’ behalf.
CST gained charitable status in 1994 and has 2,000 dedicated volunteers and over 100 staff members across the UK, according to its website. Charles is also patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and visited Poland last year to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
The news was announced after an antisemitic arson attack early Monday morning on four ambulances owned by the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzalah. The ambulances were parked near the Machzike Hadath synagogue in Golders Green in north London. No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made as of yet, but police are investigating the attack as an antisemitic hate crime. The terrorist collective called Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, which has ties to Iran, had claimed responsibility for the attack but their claim has not been verified.
The UK’s Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was the keynote speaker at CST’s annual dinner on Monday night. She opened her speech at the event by condemning the arson and said those behind the “warped attack” would be “pursued and made to face the consequences of their vile actions.”
“This was more than an attack on four ambulances; it was more than an attack on one organization or on one community. It was an attack on this country and on us all,” she said.