King Charles III will travel to Auschwitz to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet soldiers.
The Monarch will join survivors and other dignitaries invited to a service at the site of the former concentration camp in Poland on Monday, whilst Prince William will attend commemorations in the UK.
It comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke of the “collective endeavour” to defeat the “hatred of difference” on Holocaust Memorial Day.
In a statement on Monday, he paid tribute to the six million Jewish people murdered by the Nazi regime. He renewed his commitment to ensure all schools across the country teach students about the genocide.
Sir Keir added: “The Holocaust was a collective endeavour by thousands of ordinary people utterly consumed by the hatred of difference.”
“That is the hatred we stand against today, and it is a collective endeavour for all of us to defeat it.
“We must start by remembering the six million Jewish victims and by defending the truth against anyone who would deny it.”
The Prime Minister said: “As we remember, we must also act,” pointing to other atrocities in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur which followed the Holocaust.
“Today, we have to make those words mean more. We will make Holocaust education a truly national endeavour,” he said.
“We will ensure all schools teach it and seek 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 that appreciation of our common humanity, which is the ultimate way to defeat the hatred of difference.
“It happened, it can happen again: that is the warning of the Holocaust to us all. And it’s why it is a duty for all of us to make ‘never again’ finally mean what it says: never again.”
The Prime Minister, who visited the site of the industrial massacre of millions, hosted a group of survivors and their families in Downing Street, describing the meeting as “an incredible privilege” and praising their “sheer and remarkable courage”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch spoke of the importance of confronting “the resurgence of antisemitism today” while reflecting on the Holocaust as a “unique evil in human history.”
She said: “As the Holocaust recedes from living memory, it is imperative that we listen to the testimonies of the remaining survivors and ensure their stories are passed on to future generations.
“While we reflect on the unimaginable horrors that antisemitism has wrought in the past, we must also confront the resurgence of antisemitism today.
“Globally, we have witnessed the abduction of Jews, violent riots, and attacks on synagogues.”
