King and Queen honour Holocaust survivors at Buckingham Palace

The King and Queen hosted Holocaust survivors, their families and Jewish communal leaders at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, in a reception underscoring the urgency of remembrance as antisemitism continues to rise.

Held on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the event brought together survivors, descendants and representatives from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the Anne Frank Trust UK and the Holocaust Educational Trust.

During the reception, Their Majesties viewed Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust, a series commissioned by His Majesty in 2022 while Prince of Wales, depicting seven Holocaust survivors recognised for their lifelong contributions to education and remembrance. Several of those portrayed have since died, lending particular poignancy to the gathering.

Lily Ebert’s portrait was attended by her great-grandson Dov Forman, who spoke about the absence of his great-grandmother.

“Holocaust Memorial Day is always an incredibly important day for the whole family,” he said. “To be here without her is obviously very sad; she would have been so happy to see her portrait hanging in the Palace. But it’s also incredible, because these are the last moments to be with survivors in one room and listen to their stories.”

Reflecting on the wider climate facing British Jewry, he added: “Jews across Britain feel worried about the state of this country, and people are worried about their future here. So to have the support of His Majesty is very special.”

Among those attending were Julia and Pauline, daughters of the late Harry Olmer, a Windermere Child and Holocaust survivor who died just days before the reception.

Speaking to Jewish News, the sisters described what they shared with the King about their father.

“We mentioned that he’d passed away just 12 days ago, and that we are here to represent him,” they said. “We said that dad knew about this, and he was very much looking forward to being here.”

They spoke emotionally about attending without him. “There’s an empty space next to us,” they said. “We’re used to attending so many of these events with dad and making sure that he was okay.”

Despite their grief, they stressed the importance of continuing his legacy. “He spent 30 years of his life educating, travelling around the country,” they said. “We can’t let that education be wasted.”

Holocaust survivor Susan Pollack also spoke to Jewish News about the importance of remembrance.

“All of this is very important,” she said. “We have to do all that we can to keep the Holocaust’s memory alive.”

Pollack reflected on the responsibility survivors continue to carry. “It’s a pleasure meeting people I hadn’t seen for years,” she said. “I’m honoured in life. We all are.”

Rachel Levy BEM, an Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen survivor whose portrait features in the exhibition, spoke about the impact of seeing survivors represented in art.

“They’re absolutely amazing,” she said of the portraits. “They are incredible.”

Levy explained that the works captured trauma honestly. “They haven’t been embellished for portraits,” she said. “They’re showing some of their experiences and the trauma that they went through.”

Sajid Javid, former home secretary and chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, also spoke to Jewish News during the reception, stressing that Holocaust remembrance must be understood as a responsibility for wider society.

“It’s not really designed for the 0.5 percent of the population that are Jewish,” he said. “It’s for the 99.5 percent to remember what happened.”

He warned of how hatred escalates. “It didn’t just start in the 1930s and 40s. It was centuries of antisemitism before that,” he said. “It starts with words, it starts with ideas, and it leads to violence and murder.”

Reflecting on the King’s role, Javid added: “Our King is the most unifying figure in the country. He’s not a politician, he’s not a celebrity – it’s a role you earn over decades.”

Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust said: “Visiting Buckingham Palace for Holocaust Memorial Day was incredibly special and I was deeply moved to see our Patron His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen light a candle in remembrance – a powerful and meaningful act of solidarity and reflection.

“It was a great honour to escort His Majesty as he met with Holocaust survivors, whose courage and testimony continue to guide and inspire our work. Moments like these remind us why remembrance matters, and why we must continue to stand together against antisemitism and all forms of hatred.”

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said the reception carried deep national and communal significance.

“On Holocaust Memorial Day, we remember the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators and we honour the survivors who endured so much… With antisemitism at record levels, this support could not be more crucial.”

The reception concluded with the King and Queen lighting candles as a symbolic act of remembrance and hope, before meeting survivors and families.