The Prince of Wales gave a glowing tribute to Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks at a dinner attended by more than 800 people to celebrate his 22 years in office, calling him a “light unto this nation”.

Prince Charles, the guest of honour, said that Lord Sacks’s retirement in two months was “a very sad moment for many of us who have grown to value and admire the truly extraordinary contribution you have made to our national life”.

Describing him Lord Sacks as a “steadfast friend” and “valued adviser,” he said; “Your guidance on any given issue has never failed to be of practical value and deeply grounded in the kind of wisdom that is increasingly hard to come by.”

Video tributes were also paid by Prime Minister David Cameron and three of his predecessors, as well as Christian leaders.

A lavish brochure prepared in honour of the occasion also contained messages from Reform, Liberal and Reform leaders.