British monarch King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited an Indian restaurant in London on Monday to participate in Ramadan preparations, assisting in packing dates and biryani for donation.
The royal couple visited Darjeeling Express, a restaurant owned by British-Indian chef Asma Khan, where they engaged with the staff and helped prepare food packages to be distributed to local hospitals.
A video shared on the royal family's official social media accounts showed the King and Queen interacting with the all-female kitchen staff, wrapping date packages and dishing out biryani boxes.
"Packing dates at Darjeeling Express! Traditionally, dates are eaten as the first food to break the fast at sunset during Ramadan. Their Majesties helped pack dates that will be sent to local hospitals for Iftaar during the holy month," read the caption accompanying the video.
Chef Asma Khan, visibly delighted by the couple’s participation, praised their efficiency. "I didn’t realize the King would be so fast!” she remarked in a video posted to Instagram, drawing laughter from the King.
"You are packing dates faster than I can seal them." She further quipped, "I never realized this is a speedy couple," prompting more chuckles from those present.
View this post on Instagram
The visit to Darjeeling Express was part of the King and Queen’s broader engagement with London’s Muslim communities ahead of Ramadan, which begins on February 28. Later in the day, the couple visited Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, where they met members of London’s Syrian community, including the restaurant’s owner, Imad Eddin al Arnab.
Al Arnab, who arrived in the UK as a refugee in 2015 after losing his three restaurants in Damascus, expressed his appreciation for the King's interest in Syrian culture. "The King knows so much about Syrian cuisine and Syrian history. It’s amazing that he cares," he told Hello! magazine. "This kind of support from His Majesty showed us how much we mean as human beings. We didn’t have such a thing from our previous president."
The meeting also included BAFTA-winning filmmaker Waad Jarkas and her husband, Dr. Hamza Al-Kateab, known for their documentary For Sama, which depicts the devastation of the Syrian Civil War.
Al Arnab expressed hope for greater unity between British and Syrian communities. "We have high hopes for our new government and for me, as a British Syrian, I hope that these two peoples come together and create a better future," he said.
