The King will travel to Auschwitz to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation as Sir Keir Starmer spoke of the “collective endeavour” to defeat the “hatred of difference” on Holocaust Memorial Day.
Charles will join survivors and other dignitaries invited to a service at the site of the former concentration camp in Poland on Monday, also meeting the country’s President Andrzej Duda during his brief visit.
The Prince of Wales will attend official commemorations in London to mark the anniversary.
It comes as the Prime Minister warned a similar atrocity could happen in the future unless society upholds its duty to “make ‘never again’ finally mean what it says”.
In a statement on Monday, he paid tribute to the six million Jewish people murdered by the Nazi regime and renewed his commitment to ensure all schools across the country teach students about the genocide.
“The Holocaust was a collective endeavour by thousands of ordinary people utterly consumed by the hatred of difference,” Sir Keir said.
“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 also visited Auschwitz earlier this month, where he vowed to fight the “poison of antisemitism”.
On Wednesday, he welcomed a group of survivors and their families to 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.”
“This year, we solemnly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. We must continue to honour the memory of the six million Jewish men, women, and children who were brutally murdered in the Holocaust,” 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.
“Alarmingly, antisemitism is on the rise here in the UK as well. The Jewish community has significantly enriched our nation, and their traditions, history, and resilience are integral to Britain’s diverse and vibrant identity.
“Yet, we see weekly marches spewing modern-day hatred of Jews. Antisemitism, often disguised as ‘anti-Zionism,’ is prevalent on our streets and in our universities.
“The Holocaust stands as a unique evil in human history. It is crucial that we learn its lessons and continue to combat antisemitism, ensuring that ‘never again’ truly means never again.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged vigilance in defending “peace, human rights and compassion” and guarding against “antisemitism, hatred, discrimination and oppression”.
“80 years ago, seven thousand people were finally liberated from Auschwitz. Free at last, after years of unimaginable misery,” he said in a statement.
“In the years before, 1.1 million people had been murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz alone – mostly Jews.
“As we commemorate 80 years since Britain and her allies defeated the Nazis and ended the Holocaust, we must never forget those appalling atrocities.
“We must never forget how six million Jews were murdered by the Nazis; how so much inhumanity was inflicted on humans by humans.”
He paid tribute to Lily Ebert, a Holocaust survivor and memoirist who died last October.
“Lily wrote about a banknote, given to her by an American soldier after the liberation. He’d written on it: ‘A start to a new life. Good luck and happiness,'” Sir Ed said.
“She wrote: ‘This was something I knew I’d keep forever, a reminder, after all the cruelty we’d endured, that people could be compassionate. There was some hope and humanity left in the world’.
“We must remember that too, and live up to the positive vision Lily could see, even after so much darkness.”
