Britain’s King Charles III will attend the 80th anniversary commemorations of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau next month, marking his first visit to Poland since ascending to the throne.
The visit will also be the first time a British monarch has stepped foot on the grounds of the notorious Nazi death camp, a site synonymous with the horrors of the Holocaust.
The anniversary ceremony, set for January 27, 2025, coincides with Holocaust Memorial Day.
It will bring together survivors, world leaders, and dignitaries from around 20 nations, all gathering to honor the memory of the more than one million victims who perished at Auschwitz-Birkenau—Jews, Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and countless others who were murdered under the Nazi regime.
The camp’s iconic gates, now standing as a grim reminder of the atrocities will be the focal point for the solemn commemorations.
King Charles has long been a vocal advocate for Holocaust education and remembrance.
As a patron of organizations such as World Jewish Relief and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, he has made it his mission to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive for future generations.
His commitment to combating antisemitism and promoting tolerance is well known, with the King consistently using his platform to speak out against discrimination in all its forms.
His support for Jewish communities, in particular, has earned him high praise from Jewish leaders.
The anniversary ceremony, set for January 27, 2025, coincides with Holocaust Memorial Day.
It will bring together survivors, world leaders, and dignitaries from around 20 nations, all gathering to honor the memory of the more than one million victims who perished at Auschwitz-Birkenau—Jews, Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and countless others who were murdered under the Nazi regime.
The camp’s iconic gates, now standing as a grim reminder of the atrocities will be the focal point for the solemn commemorations.
King Charles has long been a vocal advocate for Holocaust education and remembrance.
As a patron of organizations such as World Jewish Relief and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, he has made it his mission to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive for future generations.
His commitment to combating antisemitism and promoting tolerance is well known, with the King consistently using his platform to speak out against discrimination in all its forms.
His support for Jewish communities, in particular, has earned him high praise from Jewish leaders.
The King’s connection to the Holocaust is not only public but deeply personal.
His grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was honored by Israel’s Yad Vashem as a Righteous Gentile for her courageous actions in sheltering a Jewish family in Greece during the Nazi occupation.
The King’s ties to Poland also run deep through his great-great-grandmother, Julia Salomea von Hauke, a Polish noblewoman who was born in Warsaw.
She was the daughter of Polish Count General Maurycy Hauke, who fought in the the 18th century Kościuszko Uprising against Russia, and in the Polish Legions alongside Napoleon.
The 80th anniversary event will also reflect on the liberation of Auschwitz by the Soviet 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front in January 1945.
When the camp was freed, only around 7,000 prisoners were found alive, a stark contrast to the more than 1.1 million men, women, and children who had been sent to their deaths in the preceding years.
His grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was honored by Israel’s Yad Vashem as a Righteous Gentile for her courageous actions in sheltering a Jewish family in Greece during the Nazi occupation.
The King’s ties to Poland also run deep through his great-great-grandmother, Julia Salomea von Hauke, a Polish noblewoman who was born in Warsaw.
She was the daughter of Polish Count General Maurycy Hauke, who fought in the the 18th century Kościuszko Uprising against Russia, and in the Polish Legions alongside Napoleon.
The 80th anniversary event will also reflect on the liberation of Auschwitz by the Soviet 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front in January 1945.
When the camp was freed, only around 7,000 prisoners were found alive, a stark contrast to the more than 1.1 million men, women, and children who had been sent to their deaths in the preceding years.
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