An event for King Charles III to meet faith leaders on Friday evening was moved up to allow British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis to be able to leave before the start of Shabbat.
Buckingham Palace officials rescheduled the meeting so Rabbi Mirvis could attend along with other religious leaders who will have their first opportunity to meet and speak with King Charles since he became Britain’s monarch. The change from 6 p.m. to earlier in the afternoon gave Rabbi Mirvis enough time to return to his north London synagogue for Shabbat, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
Palace officials moved the meeting up to 5:30 p.m. to accommodate the Chief Rabbi, with Shabbat starting at 6:59 p.m. in London this week.
The meeting will also be attended by Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl.
A source told the news outlet that the Chief Rabbi’s office did not request the time change.
“The Palace took the initiative and phoned up and said, 'Don't worry about it, we have realized it will clash with Shabbat so we will move it for you,'” the source said. "It was absolutely wonderful of them, and characteristic of the King."