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King Charles will attend a commemoration service at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial in Poland to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi death camp.
The museum says that all Auschwitz survivors have been invited to the service on January 27, which will be livestreamed for people around the world to watch.
Charles is known to have a long-standing relationship with the Jewish community, and is a patron of multiple Jewish organizations, including World Jewish Relief and London’s Jewish Museum. Britain’s Chief Rabbi has previously praised the King’s “wonderful sensitivity” and inclusion of other faiths.
Prior to the Holocaust memorial service, Charles will meet members of the local community in Krakow, one of Poland’s oldest cities, as well as the nation’s president, Andrzej Duda.
The King has visited Poland on four previous occasions, including recent visits in 2008 and 2010. Last year, Prince William also made a rare, surprise trip to Poland, visiting British and Polish troops. “Our nations have strong ties,” the heir to the throne said at the time.
“Through our cooperation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom, which are also our freedoms and yours, these ties are further strengthened,” he added.
Earlier this week, Charles hosted a Holocaust memorial event at Buckingham Palace, attended by three organizations dedicated to educating future generations about the Holocaust and continuing the legacy of survivors. |
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One educational project involves a display of 80 candles to represent the 80 years that have passed since Auschwitz-Birkenau camp was liberated. Charles lit a candle in memory of those killed in the Holocaust and more recent genocides, according to Buckingham Palace.
At the event, the King also met Manfred Goldberg, 94, who survived Stutthof camp in Sztutowo, northern Poland, as well as a death march. Tens of thousands of people were held in merciless conditions at Stutthof, and more than 60,000 died there, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
A portrait of Goldberg was on display during the event – alongside six other paintings of Holocaust survivors that were commissioned by Charles when he was Prince of Wales.
The commemoration service in Poland will be one of many across Europe to mark this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day. Funding for the 2025 memorial event in the UK was boosted last year by the British government to match “the significance of the moment.” Dozens of services will be held up and down the country on January 27. |
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Meghan’s Netflix show delayed… but with good reason. |
The Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix series has been delayed due to the wildfires still devastating much of Los Angeles. “With Love, Meghan” was set to drop on the streaming platform this week but will now debut on March 4 instead. The duchess and Prince Harry live in Montecito, an area in northeastern LA that was being closely monitored this week as fires continued to rage in neighboring areas of LA County. Much of Meghan’s new show was also filmed in Montecito. The duchess said “I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California.” Meghan was born and raised in LA so it’s not surprising that she and Harry spent time supporting victims of the fires and first responders over the weekend. Remaining incognito for most of the day, they served food at a meal distribution center and spoke to volunteers from World Central Kitchen, with which their Archewell Foundation has partnered many times. Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo told local news station Fox 11 they had “really buoyed the spirits.” Read more on that story here.
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Catherine, Princess of Wales revealed on Tuesday that she is in remission from cancer, following a visit to the London hospital where she was treated last year. During the visit to The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in Chelsea, west London, the princess met medical teams and spoke to patients who are currently receiving treatment. “As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am, however, looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead,” the 43-year-old said in a post on X following the poignant visit. “There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support,” she added. Read more on this story.
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Jane Barlow/Pool/AFP/Getty Images |
King Charles kicked off a year of celebrations to mark the 35th anniversary of his charity The King’s Foundation on Wednesday, with a little help from rock icon Rod Stewart and his wife and TV host Penny Lancaster. Founded by Charles during his tenure as Prince of Wales, the charity has community regeneration at its heart, aiming to promote heritage, tradition and living in harmony with nature. Accompanied by students, alumni, staff and volunteers, the King launched a time capsule project in honor of the foundation’s work. Charles put his own pair of pruning shears and a personal letter in an oak capsule designed and made by Aiden Lawley, an alumnus of the Snowdon School of Furniture, part of The King’s Foundation at Highgrove.
Throughout its 35th year, The King’s Foundation will collect items that represent the achievements of the charity. The box will be buried in the grounds of Dumfries House in Scotland, where the foundation operates, and opened in 100 years. The King was joined at the historic estate by Stewart and Lancaster, who were announced this week as the charity’s newest ambassadors. They were all in high spirits as the King put his shears in the capsule, with Stewart shielding his face in mock recoil as his wife laughed. During their visit, Lancaster met staff at the Health and Wellbeing Centre at Dumfries House to learn more about the perimenopause programs the center provides. Lancaster is a passionate advocate of menopause awareness and is a patron of Menopause Mandate.
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Princess Anne to visit South Africa. |
The King’s sister is headed to South Africa for a two-day trip later this month, during which she will carry out a series of engagements. Between January 21 and 22, the Princess Royal – who is president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission – will unveil a new memorial to honor more than 1,700 predominantly black South Africans who served in the country’s military during World War I. The memorial is part of a broader initiative to ensure that all those who died in the two world wars are remembered equally. Anne’s other official engagements in the country will include visits to numerous organizations in Cape Town, including the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and the Royal Cape Yacht Club.
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"We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our emergency services. As paramedics in whatever guise, your work uniquely places tremendous demands upon you and I cannot thank you enough for all that you do."
– Prince of Wales
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On Wednesday, Prince William became patron of the College of Paramedics and reflected on his “continued admiration and respect for the UK’s medical and emergency services,” according to the organization. Speaking at a medical conference in Birmingham, central England after the announcement, William – who has previously worked as an air ambulance pilot – thanked the emergency services for their “unwavering and brave work.” He added that he was “so proud” to represent an organization committed to supporting the wellbeing of paramedics across the country.
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CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed to this newsletter. |
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