Duke of Gloucester joins Holocaust survivors to toast King Charles III’s Coronation
Shoah survivors including Mala Tribich and Manfred Goldberg celebrate at a very British tea party, hosted by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
The charity established and funded by the UK Government to support Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) in the UK has hosted a Coronation tea party for survivors, attended by the Duke of Gloucester.
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) held the event in north London on Thursday 4 May for survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides, to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla.
It featured a sumptuous spread of tea, cakes and scones served on fine china and silverware, in keeping with British tradition.
Speaking about the Holocaust, royal guest HRH The Duke of Gloucester, said: “It isn’t just history that’s happened in the past, but it’s something that has to be recorded, remembered, and we have to have the language to know how to stop people behaving in a way that deprives others of peace and justice.”
Helen Aronson, a Holocaust survivor who has met the King on four occasions, said: “On behalf of all the Holocaust survivors, I’d like to thank the King for continuing to keep the awareness of the atrocities of the Holocaust alive in people’s memories. His continued support and care for the survivors means a lot to all of us.”
HMDT chief executive Olivia Marks-Woldman said: “His Majesty’s long-term support represents the warmth and welcome that the United Kingdom has offered survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides. I know that Their Majesties will continue in their steadfast support, giving leadership to the nation in learning from genocide, for a better future.”
Many other survivors of the Holocaust shared their stories and memories at the coronation tea party.
Speaking about King Charles III, Shoah survivor and educator Mala Tribich, MBE told Jewish News: “I think he is absolutely marvellous. I have met him on a couple of occasions and I know from what I read and see that he’s not only friendly but he’s genuinely interested.”
Tribich, recently returned from the 2023 March of the Living educational trip to Poland, referred to the Krakow Jewish Community hub and said this about His Majesty: “There is a wonderful club there, which is at his instigation. He made it happen. So we really have a friend there.”
Ann Kirk BEM and husband Bob Kirk BEM, both Kindertransport survivors told Jewish News they think the Royal family are the “saving grace.”
“I think they are wonderful,” said Ann. “When people say things to me about the Royal Family, I say it saves the government from being like Hitler. It is a definite safety valve. I think they do wonderful work; some are better than others. I arrived in this country on Princess Elizabeth’s birthday: 21st April 1939.”
Bob told Jewish News: “I hear a lot of people talk about ‘what do we need a Royal family for?’ Republicanism is growing. People are entitled to their opinions but for somebody who has been through a dictatorship, the monarchy is a wonderful thing.”
Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg told Jewish News: “This country is remarkably fortunate. I’ve had the incredible honour of having met and shaken hands with three generations of Royals.”
It was King Charles III’s idea to commission leading artists to produce paintings of seven camp survivors for the Royal Collection; Goldberg, one of those seven describes the King as “a remarkably kind and stimulating person. I’ve spent generous time with him at the unveiling of the seven portraits. I was unbelievably honoured, speechless, that I had been selected as one of the seven. But it was really quite an extraordinary time meeting the then Charles, Princes of Wales and Camilla, his wife.
“I feel Prince Charles is a remarkable man,” he continued. “I feel he is grossly underrated; he’s a man with a remarkably fertile mind and I think in some respects, people underrate him because he is ahead of his time.”
The winners of HMDT’s [Extra]Ordinary Portraits Competition, who created portraits of Holocaust and genocide survivors, were invited to meet the individuals they had depicted. This competition encouraged participants to learn about people affected by identity-based persecution, the Holocaust, or genocide, and use that knowledge to create a meaningful portrait.
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