Each year, the British Royal Family plays a significant role in commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day, underscoring their commitment to remembering the atrocities of the past and promoting education to prevent future genocides. Through solemn ceremonies, poignant public statements, and personal engagements with survivors and educational organisations, the royals ensure that the horrors of the Holocaust remain a vital part of collective memory.
We’ve taken a look at how the involvement of the Royal Family in marking Holocaust Memorial Day has evolved over the years, highlighting their dedication to fostering awareness and ensuring that the lessons of history are never forgotten.
King Charles III and Camilla, The Queen Consort, with Holocaust survivor Dr Martin Stern, after lighting a candle to mark Holocaust Memorial Day at Buckingham Palace. (Royal Family)
Charles III
As Patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, King Charles has demonstrated his dedication to Holocaust remembrance and education over the years, both as Prince of Wales and King. His engagement with survivors, students, and educators highlights his determination to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust remain a vital part of collective memory.
In 2021, the then-Prince of Wales recorded a special message to virtually Holocaust Memorial Day event that took place that year. At the time, Charles stated that ‘the last generation of living witnesses is tragically passing from this world, so the task of bearing witness falls to us’. The theme was ‘Be the Light in the Darkness’, to which His Majesty noted that ‘this is not a task for one time only; nor is it a task for one generation, or one person. It is for all people, all generations, and all time’ and ‘This is our time when we can, each in our own way, be the light that ensures the darkness can never return’.
In 2022, Charles, during his tenure as Prince of Wales, commissioned portraits of seven Holocaust survivors as a living memorial to the victims of the Shoah.
Three of the seven portraits that were commissioned by Charles, as Prince of Wales. (Royal Collection Trust)
Speaking of his motives for undertaking the commissions, Charles wrote: ‘My abiding hope is that this special collection will act as a further guiding light for our society, reminding us not only about history’s darkest days, but of humanity’s interconnectedness as we strive to create a better world for our children, grandchildren and generations as yet unborn; one where hope is victorious over despair and love triumphs over hate’.
Prince Charles speaks to Anita Laskar-Wallfischof next to her portrait at The Queen’s Gallery
In 2024, His Majesty welcomed 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg to Buckingham Palace. Goldberg, who endured the horrors of concentration camps and survived a harrowing death march as a schoolboy, has been a tireless advocate for Holocaust education. The occasion saw Charles welcome three groundbreaking initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the Holocaust to ensure students and future generations are educated about the events of the Holocaust.
Charles learnt how AI is playing a role in educating students about the Holocaust. (Royal Family)
The initiatives included 80 Candles for 80 Years, a nationwide project by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust that features 80 bespoke candleholders created by groups across the UK to honour individuals and communities persecuted by the Nazis. Additionally, an innovative digital education program from the Holocaust Educational Trust was also on display, which uses AI and virtual reality to bring Holocaust testimonies to life for students and future generations.
Queen Camilla
Over the years, Queen Camilla has played a poignant role in Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations, using her platform to honour survivors, remember victims, and champion the importance of education and awareness.
In marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation the former Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, Camilla, as Duchess of Cornwall, led the UK delegation in attending a commemoration event at the former camp. Her Majesty was joined by 200 Auschwitz and Holocaust survivors from the United Kingdom and leaders from several other countries, the United States, Canada, Israel and Australia also part in the service. She also met two Holocaust survivors, Renee Salt and Hannah Lewis. At the end of the service, the then-Duchess followed the survivors for 700 metres alongside the railway lines that brought prisoners to Auschwitz.
In 2022, Camilla not only marked Holocaust Memorial Day but the annual day also coincided with the 75th anniversary of the publication of the diary of Anne Frank. During the event, Camilla watched a presentation given by students from three local schools. The Duchess then gave a powerful speech, quoting Anne Frank’s diary, as well as referring to the words of a Holocaust survivor, Marian Turski. Camilla also highlighted the important work of the Anne Frank Trust, and called on the public to not be ‘bystanders to injustice or prejudice’. She added that ‘Anne’s story is, of course, one of six million. Six million stories that need also to be told, heard and remembered to honour those lives that were lost; and to force us to understand the consequences of extreme hatred’.
Camilla speaks to Eva Schloss, step-sister of Anne Frank (@ClarenceHouse)
‘Let us not be bystanders to injustice or prejudice. After all, surely our personal values are measured by the things we are prepared to ignore. Let us therefore learn from those who bore witness to the horrors of the Holocaust, and all subsequent genocides, and commit ourselves to keeping their stories alive, so that each generation will be ready to tackle hatred in any of its terrible forms’.
The Prince and Princess of Wales
The Princess of Wales has played a prominent role in helping the Royal Family mark Holocaust Memorial Day and raising awareness around the events that took place, as well as meeting survivors.
The Princess conducted her own involvement to mark 75 years since the end of the Holocaust, by taking two photographs of Holocaust survivors and their grandchildren, as part of a wider photographic project.
The portraits, including the two captured by Kate, depict the special connection between a survivor and younger generations of their family. The two images that the then-Duchess contributed are of Steven Frank, BEM and Yvonne Bernstein. The portraits were part of a new exhibition that opened later that year, bringing together 75 powerful images of survivors and their family members to mark seven and a half decades years.
The Princess’ photographs that formed part of the exhibition to mark the 75th anniversary of Holocaust Memorial Day. (Kensington Palace)
Later in 2020, Catherine visited the Imperial War Museum to open The Holocaust Gallery, where she was reunited with the subjects of her portraits during the visit – Stephen Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, alongside their grandchildren. Her Royal Highness also met with other Holocaust survivors who had had their portraits taking for the exhibit. Moved by all that she had seen and heard, Catherine said that it was the personal stories behind the items that mean the most to her and that she hopes that ‘parents explain these stories to their children to ensure it never happens again.’. Something that we should all hope for on this Remembrance Week.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a service to mark 75 years since the Holocaust in Westminster. (Kensington Palace)
Additionally, The Prince of Wales has also marked Holocaust Memorial Day, by joining his wife at the Central Hall in Westminster to attend the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony which marked the 75th anniversary. During the Ceremony, Prince William paid tribute to Princess Alice (William’s great-grandmother) after she decided to help her Jewish friends, the Cohens, who lived in the city of Athens, which was occupied by the Nazis who were rounding up the Jewish population and transporting them to the concentration camps.
The Duchess of Cambridge heard personal accounts about surviving the Holocaust from Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg. (IMAGE: The Royal Family/Youtube).
In 2021, The Princess of Wales was virtually reacquainted with Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg to mark that year’s anniversary. Catherine first met the pair in 2017, when she and Prince William visited Stutthof concentration camp in Poland. HRH paid tribute to the ‘strength and bravery’ of Holocaust survivors, as she praised their dedication in educating younger generations about the horrors they suffered. Zigi told Catherine how he wanted to tell his story because it’s one that should never be forgotten. “If none of us say anything, we would forget about it. I want people to know.
The Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh has similarly supported Holocaust remembrance. During the 75th anniversary of Holocaust Memorial Day, at the Norden Farm Centre in Maidenhead, the then-Earl of Wessex met with John Fieldsend, one of “Nicky’s Children,” and the son of Sir Nicholas Winton, the humanitarian whose actions during the Second World War saved hundreds of lives. In the months leading up to the outbreak of war in 1939, Sir Nicholas orchestrated the rescue of 669 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. Through his tireless efforts, he secured their safe passage to Britain and arranged for foster homes, ensuring their survival amidst the horrors of the Holocaust.
Prince Edward meeting with John Fieldsend. (Royal Family)
Sir Nicholas Winton’s extraordinary story remained largely unknown until 1988, when it was featured on the BBC programme That’s Life, hosted by Esther Rantzen. In a heartwarming moment that moved millions, the program showcased Winton’s reunion with several of the children he had saved, now adults, many of whom had built families and lives in safety. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 for his services to humanity, Sir Nicholas’s legacy remains an enduring testament to courage and compassion. Born in 1909, he lived to the remarkable age of 106, passing away in 2015 but leaving behind an unparalleled legacy of kindness and bravery.
Elizabeth II
The late Queen played a pivotal role in honouring the memory of Holocaust survivors and those affected by other genocides. As Patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust since its inception in 2005, her commitment to remembrance and education was steadfast. She attended the inaugural Holocaust Memorial Day National Ceremony at Westminster Hall in 2005, marking the occasion with profound compassion and grace.
Following the ceremony, she hosted a reception at St James’s Palace for survivors of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution of other groups, and later genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. In an extraordinary gesture, the Queen broke royal protocol to personally engage with survivors, listening intently to their stories. As noted by Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, her unhurried attention and willingness to linger long after her scheduled departure demonstrated her deep empathy and unwavering respect for their experiences.
Her Majesty’s commitment extended far beyond ceremonial events. In 2015, during a state visit to Germany, she visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, a poignant and unprecedented moment in her reign. Accompanied by Prince Philip, the Queen’s visit was believed to have been at her own request, underscoring the significance she placed on bearing witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust.
Over the decades, she awarded honours to many survivors and invited dozens to attend Royal Garden Parties, recognising their resilience and contributions to society. Through her actions, the Queen not only honoured the past but also reinforced the importance of education and remembrance in preventing future atrocities.
