King Charles III marked 100 days on the British throne Dec. 16 by visiting a Jewish community center in London, where he danced the hora at a Hanukkah party. It was a joyful end to a day that had begun with dismal headlines about the poisoned relationship between his sons, William and Harry.
And it captured much about the early days of the king’s reign: a down-to-earth debut that showcased how Charles would be a very different monarch from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, yet one still shadowed by the same family discord that haunted the queen until her death in September at 96.
The continuity, as well as the differences, were on vivid display Sunday when Charles, 74, took on one of the queen’s marquee tasks: a Christmas Day address to the nation. Standing in the quire of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, he remembered his mother and offered his people comfort after a year of loss and upheaval.