High resolution images of the event are available at this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13J6DSuwrnqZxwVLwrH7GYMiWNbjeIEU8. All photos should be credited to Sam Churchill and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

London, 27 January. The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Prime Minister, along with members of the Cabinet, faith and civic leaders, and celebrities have joined survivors from the Holocaust and subsequent genocides to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Ahead of the ceremony, the Prince and Princess of Wales met with survivors to hear their personal stories and express their sympathies for the tragedies they faced. They met with Holocaust survivors as well as survivors of the Bosnian genocide, with this year marking the 30th anniversary of Srebrenica.

Survivors from the Holocaust took part in the ceremony and lit candles alongside young representatives from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and other partner organisations. Those taking part included Rachel Levy BEM, who survived Auschwitz as a 13-year-old and Steven Frank BEM and Yvonne Bernstein MBE, whose portraits the Princess of Wales took in 2020 as part of a project commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

This year’s theme, For A Better Future, emphasises the importance of the next generation carrying forward the legacy of survivors to honour their memory and stand against those who seek to divide.

The ceremony took place this afternoon at the Guildhall and will be broadcast on BBC1 at 7pm this evening. At 8pm, the Light The Darkness event will take place live around the UK, with public buildings lit up in purple as a sign of remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. People are also being encouraged to safely light a candle in a window at home.

Ahead of giving a reading describing the wartime experience of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, the Prince of Wales 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. We also remember those survivors, who have lived with the scars both mental and physical. Their bravery in sharing in reliving the most harrowing moments of their lives, are extremely powerful and ensure we never forget. I assure them, we never will.”

Reflecting on his recent visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer told attendees:

“We start by remembering the six million Jewish victims and by defending the truth against anyone who would deny it. So we will have a National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre to speak this truth for eternity. But as we remember, we must also act because we say never again. But where was never again in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, or the acts of genocide against Yazidi people. And where is never again as antisemitism still kills Jewish people. Today, we have to make those words mean more. So we will make Holocaust education a truly national endeavour.”

Speaking on behalf of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, CEO Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, said:

"This year’s UK Ceremony, where we welcomed Holocaust and genocide survivors alongside Their Royal Highnesses, the Prime Minister, and the United Kingdom’s political, faith and civic leadership provides a focal point for the nation’s commemorations. Eighty years after the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, it’s our responsibility to carry forward the legacy of the survivors, honour the memory of those who were murdered, and stand resolutely against those who deny the truth of the Holocaust or fuel prejudice and intolerance today. In a world increasingly vulnerable to division and bias, HMD calls on us all to reflect and learn lessons that inspire action towards a better future."

Attendees at the Guildhall included Barrister and television personality Rob Rinder, and actors Bel Powley and Louisa Clein.

Holocaust Memorial Day is a moment for people across the country to unite in remembrance: to honour the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of others who lost their lives under Nazi persecution and during more recent genocides recognised by the UK government in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and against the Yazidis, as well as the genocide in Darfur.

The ceremony will be broadcast on BBC1 at 7pm on 27 January 2025.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. For media enquiries, please contact Lizzie Lloyd at lizzie@atalanta.co or +447855396700.

2. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) is the charity established and funded by the UK Government to promote and support Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) in the UK.

3. Holocaust Memorial Day is marked each year on January 27th. It is the international day on 27 January to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution of other groups and during more recent genocides recognised as such by the government (Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and that of the Yazidi people), and people murdered in Darfur.

4. More information about HMDT, and events happening to commemorate HMD in 2025, can be found at www.hmd.org.uk.

Logo

Images

Tags

More Like This

Celebrities and political, faith, and civic leaders join survivors of genocide to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Iconic landmarks across the UK light up in purple for Holocaust Memorial Day

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meets with Holocaust survivors and survivor of Bosnian genocide to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Iconic landmarks from across the UK light up purple for Holocaust Memorial Day

Holocaust survivor Steven Frank BEM tours factory where Holocaust Memorial Day candles are made

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

80th anniversary of the Genocide of the Roma commemoration event in Newcastle

World leaders gather in Rwanda to mark the 30th anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi