King Charles appeared delighted to receive a hand-picked lemon at the Royal Premiere of his film Finding Harmony – A King’s Vision.
Guests at the Windsor Castle premiere included Dame Judi Dench, Sir Rod Stewart, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kate Winslet – and the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher.
He had arrived back in Britain earlier that day after a visit to support Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land – where an Anglican priest from Nablus picked a lemon from one his trees beside St Philip’s Church, as a gift for King Charles.
The Bishop of Norwich, with the bishops of Chelmsford and Gloucester, had been visiting Jerusalem and the West Bank to support threatened Christian communities there. The three bishops joined Jewish Rabbis from the group Rabbis for Human Rights to plant olive trees on land outside Bethlehem, owned and farmed by Christian Palestinians.
In Nablus they met Fr Jameel Maher Khader who asked Bishop Graham to give one of his lemons to the King.
Hearing that King Charles had been touched by the gift, Fr Jameel said: “It fills me with quiet joy. Knowing that he took a moment to smell it and smile reminds me that even simple things can cross great distances and touch the heart. For me, it’s a reminder that dignity and humanity don’t depend on wealth or power. A small gift, freely given, can carry a great deal of meaning.”
Explaining the gift he said: “I wanted to offer something very ordinary and very Palestinian—something grown with care, from our own land. A lemon felt honest and humble, a small sign of life and generosity from our community in Nablus. I hope he enjoys it—or remembers, even briefly, the people and the place it came from. Perhaps it might prompt a thought or a prayer for peace.”
The Nablus priest said lemon and orange trees growing beside his church have a symbolic meaning too. “The church is meant to be a place of life. These trees remind us that faith is rooted in the land and shared with others – they give shade, fruit, and hope. Lemons are part of our daily life—they speak of home, hospitality, and resilience. Even in difficult times, the trees keep bearing fruit.”
Bishop Graham said: “It was a joy to deliver this small gift from Palestinian Christians to His Majesty. They wanted to share their harvest and send one of their beautiful lemons to The King. These Christians are keeping the light of Christ alive in the land of his birth while living under constant challenges.”
The King’s new film sets out his belief that humans must work in harmony with the natural world. In the 90-minute documentary he talks about his life-long interest in nature, environmentalism, religion, art and design. It will be released on Prime Video on February 6.
Bishop Graham appears briefly, during a sequence showing the Coronations of the King and Queen, and had many conversations about the project with one of the producers.
