Miriam Margolyes has said she believes Charles Dickens would have been “pro-Palestine” at an event held by the Queen. The Harry Potter actor, 83, has been vocal about her thoughts on the ongoing Gaza crisis and reiterated her position at the Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Hampton Court Palace on Saturday, adding that the Oliver Twist author would have agreed. The event’s audience included Camilla, BBC Sport presenter Clare Balding and her wife Alice Arnold alongside members of the public.
Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth asked the star when she first discovered the Great Expectations and David Copperfield writer. She told the What The Dickens! Miriam Margolyes and Friends session: “When I was 11, I read Oliver Twist , that was the first one. And I just loved it,” she began.
Reflecting on her Jewish identity and the antisemitism prevalent at the time of the book’s writing, Margolyes added, “It was all about criminals. And I enjoyed the danger of it, the humour of it. But I was mystified because of the (reference to the) Jews and I’m Jewish.
“And I thought, ‘Why is he talking about the slimy Jew (Fagin) sliding along the page?’ and I was concerned about this. I didn’t realise that antisemitism was part of life.” She then commented on the ongoing situation in Gaza, saying she believed Dickens would agree with her.
“And don’t worry, I am very political and I am very pro-Palestine,” she said. “I just want that to be very clear, and so would Dickens.
