June 20 1837 – 17 Sivan 5697
Victoria was crowned queen of Great Britain. As a constitutional monarch, the young queen had relatively little influence on affairs of state, including the growing role played by Jews in British politics. Having known Moses Montefiore from a young age, she was supportive of his efforts on behalf of the Jewish community of Damascus during the blood libel of 1848. She thought the Rothschilds, on the other hand, were the embodiment of every Jewish stereotype, and used her veto to prevent Lionel Rothschild from taking his seat when elected to parliament. After Rothschild funds financed the British purchase of the Suez Canal however, and Benjamin Disraeli, a baptized Jew, became prime minister and charmed the Queen, Victoria finally agreed to bestow a title on Nathaniel Rothschild, Lionel’s son, who became the first Jew elected and sworn in – on the Old Testament alone – as a member of parliament.
Feel free to share
