The Prince of Wales has been praised for visiting an NHS pop-up vaccine clinic in Brent Cross in spite of ongoing “family drama”.
Prince Charles met people receiving their jab at the Jesus House For All The Nations church in Brent Terrace on March 9.
While there he was told about work to combat vaccine hesitancy and support for the community during the coronavirus pandemic.
The heir to the throne visited the centre the day after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on British television.
Patient Maziya Marzook said "private matters didn't come up at all" during his visit.
The 42-year-old housewife from Harrow said: "He didn't bring up anything, he was more interested in how the vaccine was and how we feel."
She said Charles was "doing his job" and that he seemed "quite a nice person" and appeared "humble".
"It's good that he comes like this, the encouragement he's giving," she added.
Another patient asked the prince if he had been given his Covid inoculation - he replied “yes” and laughed.
He asked one woman if she had been working at home throughout lockdown, adding: “It’s all very well, but when you’re in front of a screen… I don’t know about you but my back goes.”
Grace, 50, claimed she briefly spoke to the prince.
“He was quite interactive with the people in there in spite of all the drama going on,” she said.
“He took the time to come out here. I’m very happy he came out to encourage us to take the vaccine as well.”
She hailed the work of the church to help people “not to be afraid of the vaccine” and for “creating a platform” that had given “a lot more reassurance to Black people and ethnic minorities”.
Grace said it would have been “rude” for anyone to mention the Oprah Winfrey interview and repeated: “In spite of the family drama he still took time out to come here.”
Amid Harry and Meghan’s claim that an unnamed member of the Royal family made racist comments about their son, Grace highlighted that Charles had visited a “Black church”, adding: “All that effort and someone turns around and says there’s racism, I don’t believe that."
Charles gave a short speech acknowledging the role Black-majority churches played in their local communities, as well as the nation as a whole, and expressed his pride in their role in the vaccine rollout.
“As I’ve seen today, you’ve opened your church to the vaccine programme to the whole community and you’ve been collecting and distributing food to those who need it most, as I’ve also seen,” he said.
“If ever we needed an example of how to be a good Samaritan, we need look no further.”
He added: “We are all immensely proud of the role Black-majority churches have been playing and it is a source of profound sorrow to know that Black communities have been hit particularly hard by this pernicious virus.”
Charles described the vaccine programme as “truly an answer to prayer”, raising a laugh as he recalled how he had learnt the “wonderful acronym Push” on his last visit – pray until something happens.
According to PA Media, Charles chuckled when asked whether he had seen the interview with Ms Winfrey.
A reporter asked: “Sir, what did you think of the interview?”
After turning to see who had called out, he chuckled and carried on walking.
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