I was excited to be included by Maggie Carver, the Winchester Jewish Community, organisers and the county council, who did a brilliant job with the second unveiling of the statue of Lady Licoricia, and the opening of the Winchester Arc and cultural hub, by HRH Prince Charles.

READ MORE: Licoricia statue unveiled in Winchester without Prince Charles

The message of neighbourliness encompasses perfectly the principles of tolerance, diversity and inclusion. At the first unveiling the Chief Rabbi Mirvis, Dean Catherine Ogle and I expressed in an HCC Twitter video how poignant those values are today, and as one of my mentors, and Former Leader of HCC, Roy Perry, explains so eloquently the relevance to the horrors in Ukraine.

I was able to present His Highness with a book of beautiful cultural photos and portraits from around the Islamic world (In the Shade of the Tree). HRH and I spoke about his granduncle and last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, who had invited my family to Broadlands for dinner in the 1970’s, but sadly tragedy struck before we could.

SEE ALSO: Prince Charles visits Winchester to unveil The Arc and see Licorcia statue

So Prince Charles was touched that the book was as much a token in respect of his granduncle’s neighbourliness, as it was to thank HRH for his interfaith and cultural support around the world. On a lighter note, I also joked, asking HRH how on earth he recovered from Covid so quickly and return to Winchester? He simply laughed saying, “well”, and then asked smiling “and you’re well?” before walking out to an adoring public and heading home … Licoricia, the Arc and cultural hub were truly blessed.

Peer-Jada Qureshi

Solicitor Advocate

Founding Chair of Winchester Muslim Cultural Association and Inaugural Co-Chairman of Hampshire Interfaith Network

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