King Charles lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau to mark 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camp. Photo / Getty Images
King Charles lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau to mark 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camp. Photo / Getty Images
The King, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, all made emotional appearances to mark the anniversary.
He spoke at a Jewish community centre in Krakow on Monday morning, before becoming the first British head of state to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau.
King Charles lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau to mark 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camp. Photo / Getty Images
The monarch joined other dignitaries at a commemoration event at the concentration camp to mark 80 years since its liberation.
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on January 27 each year to honour the memory of the six million Jews murdered during World War II.
It also commemorates the millions of other people killed through the Nazi persecution of other groups and in recent genocides.
King Charles visited a Jewish community centre in Krakow before heading to the ceremony. Photo / Getty Images
During his speech on Monday, the King said that it was “a moment when we recall the six million Jews” upon whom “the Nazis inflicted their violence and hatred”.
“It is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed to flourish, ignored for too long by the world,” the King added.
“ … In a world that remains full of turmoil and strife, and has witnessed the dangerous re-emergence of anti-Semitism, there can be no more important message.”
The King was later seen wiping away a tear as he sat alongside Denmark’s King Frederik X and Queen Mary at the commemoration service at Auschwitz, which featured speeches from survivors of the concentration camp.
Back in the UK, it emerged early on Monday that the Princess of Wales would be a last-minute addition at a Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony in London just hours later, joining Prince William and other high-profile figures, including the British Prime Minister.
The King sat alongside Denmark's King Frederik X (R) and Queen Mary. Photo / Getty Images
During an intimate reception before the service, Kate had an emotional reunion with two survivors of the Holocaust.
The princess was pictured warmly hugging Yvonne Bernstein, 87, and Steven Frank, 89 - both of whom she had photographed at Kensington Palace in 2020 - and telling them what a “treat” it was to see them again.
“She’s just such a darling, you know? She’s just such a lovely person,” Frank told the Telegraph afterwards.
“She’s warm and kind and just a lovely person. [It was] lovely to see her.
“And she looked well, I thought. I asked her how she was, and she said she was fine, and that’s a good thing too.”
The Wales also spoke to those gathered there about their commitment to educating their three children - Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 - about the horrors that unfolded during the Holocaust.
Prince William and Princess Kate light candles during a ceremony commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day in London. Photo / Getty Images
“George is getting to the age where he’s starting to understand things. So it’s getting interesting to talk to him about what happened,” William explained.
The prince later made a speech at the formal service, acknowledging the bravery of the survivors.
“I am honoured to join you today to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and to remember the millions murdered during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides,” he said.
“We also remember those survivors, who have lived with the scars both mental and physical.
“Their bravery in sharing with us the most harrowing moments of their lives, are extremely powerful and ensure we never forget. I assure them, we never will.”
