Prince of Wales honours Holocaust survivors for sharing ‘most harrowing moments of their life’

Prince William has given an assurance at the UK’s national Holocaust ceremony to “never forget” those who perished, while recognising the bravery of survivors who continue to “share with us the most harrowing moments of their lives.”

Speaking at a moving event, held at London’s Guildhall and marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. the Duke of Cambridge, who attended with his wife Kate, made the pledge as survivors in the audience watched on.

William said:”“I am honoured to join you today to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and to remember the millions murdered during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides.”

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He added:”We also remember those survivors who have lived with scars, both mental and physical – their bravery in sharing with us the most harrowing moments of their lives are extremely powerful and ensure we never forget.

“I assure them, we never will.”

The Duke and Duchess, along with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other senior government ministers, had earlier joined survivors at a pre-ceremony reception at the iconic venue, where they were pictured line-up together in poignant fashion.

This year’s theme For A Better Future, emphasised the importance of the next generation carrying on telling the story of the Shoah.

The Princess of Wales hugged and held hands with Holocaust survivors and described her attendance at the event with her husband as “a great honour.”

William, wearing a navy suit and blue tie, and Kate, wearing all black, were greeted on arrival by Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, and its chairwoman of trustees Laura Marks.

Speaking to Marks-Woldman, Kate described the commemorations as “so important”, adding: “It is great to be here today with my husband.”

The pair were then shown to the Old Library where they met with two tables of survivors and their families.

After having formal handshakes, Kate then gave one survivor, Yvonne Bernstein, 87, a warm hug before they clasped each other’s hands as they sat together and spoke.

The princess said: “(It is) such a treat for me (to see) an old friend.”

On the second table, Kate also hugged and spoke at length with fellow survivor Steven Frank BEM, 89.

Frank was photographed by the princess to mark the 75th anniversary commemorations in 2020.

Later the PM  spoke on stage at Monday’s Holocaust Memorial Day 2025  event, screened on BBC1, recalling his recent visit to Block 27 at the Auschwitz site searching for members of his wife Victioria’s family in the Book of Names.

“We turned page after page after page just to find the first letter of a name,” he said. ” It gave me an overwhelming sense of the sheer scale of this industrialised murder.

“And every one of those names, like the names we were looking for – was an individual person. Someone’s mother, father, brother, sister brutally murdered, simply because they were Jewish.”

Starmer said the Holocaust was a “collective endeavour” by ordinary people “consumed by the hatred of difference”.

He also repeated a pledge to ensure Holocaust education becomes a fundamental part of the national curriculum. “We will have a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre next to Parliament, boldly and unapologetically as a national statement of the Holocaust. To speak this truth for eternity,” he said.

“We will ensure that all schools teach it, to give every young person the opportunity to hear a recorded survivor testimony. Because by learning from survivors, we can develop that empathy for others and an appreciation for our common humanity, which is the ultimate way to defeat a hatred of difference.”

The UK National Ceremony was opened fittingly by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s chair Laura Marks OBE who spoke of the collective responsibility of all to stand up to prejudice and hatred in all its forms, while honouring the memory of the six million Jewish people who were dehumanised and brutally murdered.

Three moving testimonies on experiences of the Holocaust were then given by John Hajdu MBE, Rachel Levy MBE and Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines MBE.

The London Youth Chamber choir performed a haunting rendition of ‘Even When He is Silent’, while narrator Reeta Chakrabarti told the audience how the event remembers those killed by Nazis and subsequent genocides including Srebrenica, whose 30th anniversary is also marked this year.

“We do so for a reason, for a better future. What we commemorate didn’t start with the gas chambers,” said Chakrabarti.

In another emotionally charged moment, Rob Rinder MBE gave a reading from the George Lucius Salton Memoir, accompanied by music from the Countess of Wessex String Orchestra.

Next up on the stage the HRH Prince of Wales also paid tribute to his late great- grandmother Princess Alice of Battenberg who lived in Athens during the Second World War and who  helped organise soup kitchens and shelters for orphaned children.

“I was recently reminded of my great-grandmother, Princess Alice, who lived in Athens during the Second World War,” he said.

“She worked tirelessly for the Red Cross, helping to organise soup kitchens, opening shelters for orphaned children, and setting up a nursing system for poor areas of the city.”

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who was attending the ceremony in Auschwitz, sent a video address for the event, urging people to come together to challenge hatred.

Then in a particularly moving section of the ceremony Progressive Judaism’s Rabbi Josh Levy was joined by survivor Mervyn Kersh who both addressed the audience.

Rabbi Levy spoke of his own grandfather’s service in the army. “He wrote in a letter home ‘I cannot describe the indescribable – there are no words to convey the tragedy and misery of  those tens of thousands of hapless victims.'”

Kersh spoke of the need to learn the lessons of the past, adding:”We must stand together against hate and oppression for a better world.”

Rabbi Levy also sang the memorial prayer El Male Rachamim, while Bel Powley read from the memoir of Gena Turgel, who had faith that the next generation would continue to tell the story of the Holocaust after the last survivors were gone.

Other political attendees at the event were Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey, as well as the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.

At the end of the ceremony William and Kate each appeared on stage to gather a flame and light their own candles.

Ms Marks-Woldman said: “Your Royal Highnesses, your presence and contributions today send a powerful message at this time of increased Holocaust distortion and inversion, of the imperative of safeguarding the historical record, and for us all to take personal responsibility to uphold the truth of the past and work towards a better future.”