Prince William is set to lead the nation in paying tribute on Holocaust Memorial Day, where he will deliver a reading at a poignant service held at London’s Guildhall.
This year’s event on January 27, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia, will see the prince’s speech align with the theme “for a better future”.
Commemorative events worldwide will honour the memory of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, as well as the countless others who suffered under Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides in places like Rwanda, Srebrenica, and Cambodia.
In a historic first, the King will visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau site in Poland on the same day, marking his inaugural trip to the country, reports the Mirror.
A royal insider shared: “As part of an unending commitment to remember those who perished and suffered from the horrors of the past, the Prince of Wales is honoured to take part in such an important commemoration.”
Meanwhile, King Charles is set to engage with local community members in Krakow before being guided through the Auschwitz-Birkenau site by those who survived. The King also has a meeting scheduled with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
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In a poignant interaction at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, Charles spoke with 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg, coinciding with the palace’s confirmation of his attendance at the commemoration with other global leaders.
During this encounter, the monarch expressed his sorrow over the decreasing number of Holocaust survivors and conveyed to Mr Goldberg how “important” he felt it was for him to make the journey to Poland for the anniversary.
Officials from upwards of 20 countries are poised to participate in this landmark ceremony, honouring survivors of the Holocaust — referred to as the Shoah in Hebrew — which resulted in the annihilation of six million Jews. Auschwitz, where over a million individuals were slaughtered by the Nazis, marks one of the darkest chapters of human history.
When the Soviet 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazis’ largest concentration camp system, only 7,000 prisoners were found alive.
Holocaust Memorial Day is commemorated annually on January 27 and has been officially observed since 2005, serving as a day dedicated to reflection, remembrance, and education.
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