The Duke of Kent paid poignant tribute to the victims of the Holocaust on Tuesday, attending a concert at the Imperial War Museum London in honour of the Holocaust survivors and those who did not survive the atrocity.
In front of a crowd that included the 90-year-old duke, the English Chamber Orchestra performed a selection of music that included Beethoven (Movement 6 from String Quartet Op. 131, plus first chord of Movement 7), Rosy Wertheim (Lancelot, Movement I – Andante — Main section and Lancelot Movement I – Coda), Chopin (Etude Op. 10 No. 3 – Tristesse), Franz Schubert (Marche Militaire No. 1), Robert Schumann (Träumerei), Hans Neumeyer (String Trio Movement 2), and Herbert Zipper (Dachau Lied).
The Duke of Kent serves as President of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum, which houses The Holocaust Galleries at its London site. Over 2,000 photographs, books, letters and other personal objects are on display at the museum to ensure that the stories of some of the 6 million people who were murdered in the Holocaust are never forgotten.
Meanwhile, King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted a reception for Holocaust survivors and their families at Buckingham Palace. The special theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day was ‘Bridging Generations’ and encouraged young people to take to heart the history of what happened and to ensure that it is never forgotten and does not happen again.
During the reception, those gathered viewed seven portraits of Holocaust survivors that had been commissioned by King Charles when he was still the Prince of Wales. The seven portraits featured Lily Ebert, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, Helen Aronson, Arek Hersh, Zigi Shipper, Manfred Goldberg, and Rachel Levy, all of whom were chosen for their work in Holocaust education and awareness. The portraits are on display in Buckingham Palace.
King Charles and Queen Camilla also met with representatives of their patronages that work for Holocaust remembrance, including the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Anne Frank Trust UK and The Holocaust Educational Trust.
The royal couple lit memorial candles as an act of remembrance.
The Prince and Princess of Wales shared a photograph of a Holocaust Memorial Day candle on a windowsill with the caption: “Marking Holocaust Memorial Day 🕯️
“This year’s theme, Bridging Generations, reminds us of the importance of listening to survivors, sharing their stories, and carrying their memories forward so the past is never forgotten.”
Duke of Kent Duke of Kent
