King Charles expresses his support for Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s government by mentioning that he is praying for the country.

The King has said he is ‘praying’ for Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. 

At an Advent Service in London today, Charles, aged 76, was warmly received. The service aimed to honor the resilience and bravery of faith communities. During the event, Charles interacted with religious leaders, Christian refugees, and local individuals impacted by homelessness.

The gathering was organized to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Mosul and the Nineveh region. It also shed light on the commendable work of Aid to the Church in Need, a charity dedicated to assisting displaced Christians globally.

Caroline Hall, who serves as the charity’s director, addressed the attendees. She shared how the world was left aghast when the historic city of Mosul succumbed to the forces of Isis (Daesh) a decade ago.

Following the half hour service at The Catholic Church of The Immaculate Conception, led by parish priest Father Dominic Robinson, the King met specially selected groups by Aid to the Church in Need.

In a side chapel, Charles shared a warm embrace with Sister Annie Demerjian, from the Syrian Catholic Church, who described a desperate situation in her homeland after the fall of the regime.

After their meeting, she said: ‘It is desperate but we are praying for a better future. It was an honour to meet His Majesty once again, he is the most humble man I have met in my life.

‘He remembered my name having met him a few years ago when I was in the UK, and he asked me about the situation in my country. 

‘He said he was praying for us, for all the people who have been displaced and find themselves battling against (the) odds.

‘We are praying and we are hoping for a better future and we appreciate your King’s support.’

Sister Demerjian said Christians would now flock back to the country after the fall of the regime, but shortages of food, shelter and other medical resources were an issue.

She also revealed she gifted Charles, a ‘honey cane’ from her homeland, saying: ‘I am not sure if he will even like it, but I felt I needed to show our appreciation for his support for us.’

The King was also handed another early Christmas present, painted by an Iraqi refugee who fled her homeland ten years ago after Isis forces invaded and began persecuting Christians.

Charles chatted to mother Ban Butrus, 49, and her grown-up children Jolia, 27, Peter, 24 and Sofia, 23, who presented the King with an oil painting she had crafted.

After first settling in Syria, the family moved to the UK in 2016.

First beginning her love of painting in school, Sophia’s work now demonstrates the horrors of war and struggles of her people.

The King said the artwork was ‘extraordinary’.

Commenting on the King’s visit Jolia said: ‘He’s giving 100% support to the people of Iraq and the King giving up his time to meet us is really important.

‘It’s difficult to settle here to be honest because it’s so expensive and when you start from zero, you have the drama of being persecuted and then the drama of starting all over again.

‘We are still struggling but we cannot go back now because it’s not fully safe.’

Before departing the King was asked to ‘pick one of three’ art works to take home by local artist Kollier Din-Bangura, who showed Charles his installations made from acrylic paint on bin bags.

The church volunteer told the King he ‘shared your passion’ for the environment as Charles smiled and gave him a nod of approval before handing a piece to an aide.

The King looked in seasonal spirits as he arrived at the Catholic church in London’s glitziest postcode. 

Charles was attending the service without Queen Camilla, who has pared down her public appearances in the run up to Christmas as she continues to recover from a chest infection. 

The monarch wore a navy blue wool coat over a grey suit with a pale blue shirt and pale pink tie – with a matching pink pocketchief for the festive occasion.  

The King took time to shake the gloved hand of a veteran serviceman as he arrived for the service that ‘celebrated the strength and courage of faith communities at Christmas’.

The service was led by Father Dominic Robinson, the Parish Priest and Ecclesiastical Assistant at Aid to the Church in Need, who greeted the King as he made his way through the historic church’s doors. 

Also known as Farm Street Church, it dates back to 1849. As Charles made his way to the front pew, he was met by Cardinal Vincent Nicholls, who has served as Archbishop of Westminster since 2009. 

Dr Caroline Hull, national director at ACN UK, praised the King for his ongoing support of those of faith affected by invasions. 

She said: ‘Since his time as Prince of Wales, The King has shown profound and unstinting compassion, going out of his way to hear the personal stories of the afflicted faithful.’ 

It’s been a hugely busy period for the monarch, with the King taking on various public appearances – including being seen on TV screens dissolving into laughter at the Royal Variety Show.

The annual fundraising event, which took place on November 22 but was broadcast on ITV this week, saw a string of famous faces take to the stage in front of the King, including Sir Elton John and hosts Amanda Holden and Alan Carr.

But it was Scott Bennett, a stand-up comedian from Yorkshire, who truly grabbed His Majesty’s attention.

Ranting about a recent camping holiday he had been on, Scott spoke of how loud the zips on tents are.

‘It’s three in the morning, it’s pitch black, you’re desperate for the toilet and you’re doing that,’ Scott said while pretending to open a tent and making a rather convincing unzipping noise.

‘And that’s zip number one,’ he quipped.

The cameras then cut to the King, who chortled to himself in the royal box at the Royal Albert Hall.

But the line that really tickled His Majesty’s funny bone was yet to come.

Scott continued: ‘And don’t get me started on the people who do it slowly.

‘Have you heard these people? They were next to us. Took six hours to leave the tent.’

As Scott repeated his surprisingly realistic zip noise, but this time in comedically timed fragments, the King was seen laughing so much that he folded over in his chair.

The monarch, who attended the event without his wife, Queen Camilla, appeared to enjoy the yuletide entertainment.

As well as thoroughly enjoying Scott’s stand-up routine, Charles was clearly amused during a sketch from political satirist Matt Forde.

The comedian, who is known for his impressions, joked about unfounded claims made by Donald Trump during the recent presidential campaign that illegals immigrants from Haiti were eating locals’ pets in the small Ohio city of Springfield.

Imitating Mr Trump, he said: ‘They’re eating the cats, they’re eating the dogs,’ before turning to look at the royal box and address the King.

‘Your Majesty King Charles, you are named after a spaniel – be very careful, they’ll eat you alive.’

The camera spanned to the monarch, who laughed enthusiastically.

Later, the King could be seen greeting an array of guests, from magical act Penn and Teller to extravagantly dressed Scottish presenter Lorraine Kelly.

He also met Ted Lasso star Ellie Taylor – who sported an open-mouthed look of amazement as she found herself face-to-face with the monarch. 

Camilla, who had been due to attend, was forced to pull out at the last minute after continuing to suffer from some ‘lingering post-viral symptoms’.

The Queen contracted a chest infection after a long haul trip to Australia and Samoa and pulled out a series of engagements, including the Royal Variety Performance and the Gladiator II premiere.

It is understood she was not taken to hospital with pneumonia.

Sources stressed there was no cause for alarm, saying the chest infection had simply left the Queen ‘with significantly diminished reserves of energy’.

At the time, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘Following a recent chest infection, The Queen continues to experience some lingering post-viral symptoms, as a result of which doctors have advised that, after a busy week of engagements, Her Majesty should prioritise sufficient rest.’

The statement continued: ‘With great regret, she has therefore withdrawn from attendance at tonight’s Royal Variety Performance. His Majesty will attend as planned.’

The Royal Variety Show – a hardy annual event in the Buckingham Palace calendar – is the world’s longest running entertainment show, dating back to 1912.

It supports the Royal Variety Charity which helps members of the entertainment industry in the UK who need help and assistance, including those that have fallen on hard times or need mental health support.

This is the first year that His Majesty has attended as patron of the Royal Variety Charity.