King says remembering horrors of Auschwitz a sacred duty

The King has described his historic visit to Auschwitz as “something that I will never forget” and said remembering the “horrors” of the concentration camp was a “sacred duty”.

The King has described his historic visit to Auschwitz as “something that I will never forget” and said remembering the “horrors” of the concentration camp was a “sacred duty”.

Charles and other world figures joined Auschwitz survivors for a poignant ceremony to remember and mourn all those murdered at the infamous, German-occupied site liberated 80 years ago.

For the King the visit – the first by a British monarch to Auschwitz – was said to be profound and Charles appeared emotional at one point and wiped his eye.

Candles were left by heads of state and government after the survivors had placed their flickering tributes, and Charles placed his light with both hands, before taking a step back and bowing his head.

He later left a wreath at the Death Wall, a reconstruction of the site where several thousand people, mainly Polish political prisoners, were executed and he also paused under the infamous iron gates that have come to symbolise the terror of the Nazi regime, bearing the motto Arbeit macht frei – Work Sets You Free.

The King saw exhibits of hundreds of everyday items taken from those murdered – adult shoes, children’s shoes and suitcases.

In the visitors’ book in what was previously the laundry room at the camp Charles wrote: “Remembering what took place here, and those who were so cruelly murdered is a duty; a sacred duty that must be protected.

“Being here today, hearing the stories of those who experienced its horrors, seeing the shoes of children whose lives were taken when they’d just begun, and walking the paths upon which such cruelty was inflicted, is something that I will never forget.”

The Princess of Wales hugged and held hands with Holocaust survivors in London when she made a surprise appearance at official commemorations attended by the Prince of Wales, marking Holocaust Memorial Day, held annually on the day Auschwitz was liberated.

Published: 27/01/2025 by Radio NewsHub