King Charles resumed his royal duties on Monday afternoon after spending Christmas with his family at Sandringham. The 76-year-old monarch hosted representatives from three organizations at Buckingham Palace to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, observed annually on January 27.
During the event, the organizations presented creative initiatives aimed at ensuring the stories of Holocaust survivors are passed down to future generations. Upon his arrival, King Charles met Manfred Goldberg, 94, a survivor of concentration camps including Stutthof, and his wife Shary.
The King spoke with Manfred about his upcoming trip to Poland later this month, saying, “I feel I must [go] for the 80th anniversary. It’s so important.”
Charles will travel to Poland to join other dignitaries and Holocaust survivors at a service held at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the camp.
The King and Manfred later viewed the three initiatives on display. One showcased candleholders created as part of the “80 Candles for 80 Years” project by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. After engaging with a group of students, King Charles lit a candle in remembrance of those killed in the Holocaust and other genocides, saying, “I hope that this will last a long time, keep the memory.”
A second display featured a new digital education program developed by the Holocaust Education Trust. The program uses AI-powered virtual reality technology, allowing students to interact with Holocaust survivors and explore historical sites as they exist today.
The event concluded with a short performance from Echo Eternal, a project led by CORE Education Trust in partnership with The National Youth Music Theatre. The initiative invites schools and youth organizations to create artistic responses to the testimonies of British Holocaust survivors.
