King Charles Makes History with Emotional Visit to Auschwitz for Holocaust Memorial Day: 'A Sacred Moment'

Mar. 15, 2025

King Charles III lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland to mark 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camp on January 27, 2025 in Oswiecim, Poland.Photo:AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty

AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty

King Charlesis leading the royal family’s commemorations of the victims of the Holocaust on Holocaust Memorial Day.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation, King Charles’s visit carried profound significance as he is the first British monarch to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Meanwhile, in London,Prince William, 42, andKate Middleton, 43, attended a poignant ceremony where they joined survivors of the atrocities that took place at the concentration camp and elsewhere under Germany’s Nazi regime.

King Charles III lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland to mark 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camp on January 27, 2025 in Oswiecim, Poland.AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty

A royal source emphasized the significance of the visit for King Charles, saying, “While His Majesty has found many ways over the years to engage with survivors of the Holocaust, I know this visit to Auschwitz will be a particularly poignant one for him."

“That’s not only because of the significance of the anniversary, but as an opportunity for him to reflect on the many stories of suffering and courage he has heard from those who bore witness in the very location where they took place," the palace source added. “As anyone who has visited the camp can avow, it has a profound impact on the soul, bringing home both the scale of the horrors and the lessons that must be learned for eternity.

“In that sense, it will be a deeply personal pilgrimage for The King - paying tribute both as man and monarch," the source said.

King Charles speaks with a Holocaust survivor (right) during his visit the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) Krakow, to meet Holocaust survivors and hear from volunteers and members about the centre’s support for people of all ages and backgrounds as part of its mission to rebuild Jewish life in the city.Aaron Chown/Pool/Shutterstock

Aaron Chown/Pool/Shutterstock

Holocaust Memorial Day also honors the victims and survivors of other genocides that have occurred since, including those in Rwanda, Cambodia, and Bosnia.

In Poland, King Charles began the day at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) in Krakow, where he met Holocaust survivors and heard from volunteers and members about the organization’s support for people of all ages and backgrounds as part of its mission to rebuild Jewish life in the city.

King Charles passes the gate with the lettering in German “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Will Set You Free) as he tours Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, following commemorations on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27, 2025.AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty

Then, he will join world leaders at Auschwitz-Birkenau. He will also hold a meeting with the country’s President Andrzej Duda.

In a moving speech at the JCC, the King said, “To be in Poland on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we commemorate eighty years since the liberation of Auschwitz, is both a sombre and indeed a sacred moment.”

WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty

“In a world that remains full of turmoil and strife, and has witnessed the dangerous re-emergence of antisemitism, there can be no more important message – especially as the United Kingdom holds the Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance,” he continued.

“As the number of Holocaust survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders, and on those of generations yet unborn. The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future,” the King said.

Prince William and Princess Kate began the day’s events with a heartfelt meeting with British Holocaust survivors in London.

King Charles meets food bank volunteers during his visit of the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) in Krakow, Poland on January 27, 2025.AARON CHOWN/PA/POOL/AFP via Getty

AARON CHOWN/PA/POOL/AFP via Getty

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King Charles speaks with Holocaust survivors (L) during his visit to the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) Krakow.Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty

Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty

“Over a terrifying short period of time, those seeds took root through the complacency of which we can all be guilty: of turning away from injustice, of ignoring that which we know to be wrong, of thinking that someone else will do what’s needed — and of remaining silent.

“Let’s unite in our commitment to take action, to speak up and to ensure that the words ‘Never Forget’ are a guiding light that charts a path towards a better, brighter and more tolerant future for us all,” she added.

source: people.com