King Charles has made history today as the first British head of state to visit Auschwitz, joining European royalty to mark 80 years since the Nazi death camp’s liberation.
The King attended a poignant ceremony at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial in Poland, where more than a million people were murdered during the Second World War.
The historic commemoration brought together monarchs from across Europe to pay tribute to Holocaust survivors on this significant anniversary.
The gathering included King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who were accompanied by Princess Amalia.
European royalty unites: Four monarchs from across the continent join forces with King Charles
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King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain pictured at the memorial service
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King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain were also present, alongside Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.
World leaders including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier joined the royal delegation.
Queen Mathilde was visibly moved during the service, wiping away tears as survivors shared their stories.
During the moving ceremony, Holocaust survivors placed a light in front of a freight train carriage, serving as a powerful symbol of remembrance.
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands with his wife and eldest daughter at the event
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The King, alongside other heads of state and government officials, laid lights in memory of those who perished during the Holocaust.
The ceremony took place in front of the infamous gates bearing the words “Arbeit Macht Frei” – “work sets you free” – which marked the entrance to the former Nazi concentration camp.
Speaking at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow, King Charles emphasised the importance of learning from Holocaust survivors’ testimonies.
The King said their stories teach us “to cherish our freedom, to challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate”.
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark joined the commemorations
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“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,” he added.
Following the ceremony, Charles walked through the camp gates to view personal items that were confiscated from victims upon their arrival.
The King laid a wreath at a reconstruction of the Death Wall, where thousands of Polish political prisoners were executed.
The site stands as a testament to the more than six million Jewish men, women and children who were killed during the Holocaust, along with Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and other victims of Nazi persecution.
Queen Mathilde and King Philippe of Belgium during the solemn event
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At a recent Buckingham Palace reception ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, King Charles had expressed his conviction about attending the anniversary.
“I feel I must go for the 80th anniversary, (it’s) so important,” the King had said.
The monarch emphasised that in a world filled with “turmoil and strife”, it is our collective duty to learn the lessons of history, adding: “The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task. In so doing, we inform our present and shape our future.”