King Charles III and Queen Camilla marked Holocaust Memorial Day by hosting an audience at Buckingham Palace on the 78th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
During the event, Their Majesties received two survivors of genocide and members of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. They heard firsthand about the survivor’s experiences and the ongoing work to make sure the lessons of the past are never forgotten. Dr Martin Stern, who was taken to a Nazi concentration camp at five-years-old, shared his accounts. Amouna Adam, who grew up as a member of a persecuted Fur tribe and is a survivor of the genocide in Darfur, also gave her account. The genocide in Darfur is marking its 20th anniversary.
After the audience, The King and Queen joined Martin and Amouna for a candle lighting in remembrance of genocide victims. Candles were lit at 4 pm in windows across the United Kingdom to “Light the Darkness” as a national moment of commemoration and solidarity.
His Majesty sent a message for Holocaust Memorial Day: “I would like to offer a heartfelt welcome to the 2023 Holocaust Memorial Day National Commemoration.
“This annual commemoration is a truly profound occasion in which the United Kingdom comes together to remember those who were murdered, to honour those who survived, and to resolve to work to ensure that the horrors of the past never happen again.
“The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day – Ordinary People – reminds us how it was ordinary people who were the perpetrators, bystanders, rescuers, and witnesses to the Holocaust, and its victims.
“Ultimately, we are all ordinary people, each of us with a role to play and a responsibility to use our gifts for the benefit – not destruction – of our world and humankind. Over many years, I have been deeply touched to have met so many Holocaust survivors, all of them extraordinary people who faced unimaginable horror. Their strength and determination to share their testimonies is an inspiration to us all.
“…The invaluable work of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust ensures the testimony and experiences of survivors are shared with millions of people. In learning from the horrors of the Holocaust and the genocides which followed, we can all recommit to the vital principles of freedom of conscience, generosity of spirit, and care for others that are the surest defences of hope….”
As Prince of Wales, His Majesty became Patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) in 2017. The trust promotes and supports Holocaust Memorial Day and has done so in the UK since 2001. The HMDT works with organisations to ensure the stories of survivors are shared with hundreds of people.
Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates the lives of the six million Jewish people killed during the Holocaust and the millions of others killed under Nazi persecution. Victims of genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur are also remembered on this day.
