As the news came through I had that unpleasant feeling deep down in my gut. This is the feeling you never want to have, normally reserved for bad news regarding loved ones, those people who are constant in our lives, who have been there with us since we were children.
And that is what we experienced when Her Majesty The Queen sadly passed away. She was the only Head of State I have ever known. She was a constant in our lives, there at all of the key national moments. Her death feels personal, it resonates with us all.
For the Holocaust survivors who made Britain their home, this loss will be felt particularly keenly.
From being the first female member of the Royal Family to serve in the military, training as a truck mechanic in the Second World War, until her death, she always showed compassion and understanding to servicemen and women, and the survivors they helped to liberate.
In 2015, she stood alongside the Duke of Edinburgh at Bergen-Belsen, 70 years after its liberation. She met Holocaust survivors including Rudi Oppenheimer and Anita Lasker-Wallfish and veterans Bernard Levy and Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown who liberated the camp. On that day, she reminded the world of the horrors of the past, and sent a warning about the dangers of hatred and antisemitism and where it can lead. Thanks to Her Majesty, millions of people were reminded of, or perhaps heard for the first time, the name Bergen-Belsen.
My most memorable encounter with Her Majesty was in 2005 when she hosted a reception for survivors of the Holocaust at St James’s Palace marking 60 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. Survivors still talk about that day. Never had they imagined, after being incarcerated in camps, starving and emaciated, a future where they would stand alongside Her Majesty The Queen. I will always remember the genuine interest and attention she gave to every single survivor there, listening to each unique personal story.
There was a special connection, a mutual warmth and affection, that is difficult to describe. The late Rabbi Lord Sacks described being close to tears at the way the Queen stayed to meet every survivor present, long after her scheduled departure. For survivors of the Holocaust this was unforgettable. The late Paul Oppenheimer quipped: “From Belsen to Buckingham Palace, it’s quite a journey.”.
Her commitment to remembering the darkest period in our shared history has also been reflected in the incredible actions of her children and grandchildren: The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Stutthof and met Holocaust survivors Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg there, and the Princess made a wonderful visit to Windermere, where child refugees, known as The Boys settled after the war.
His Majesty The King and The Queen Consort visited Vienna meeting British and Austrian Holocaust survivors. The Queen Consort joined international commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 2020 to mark the 75th anniversary, and King Charles III has spoken out powerfully about the legacy of the Holocaust and the importance of speaking out against antisemitism. His most recent initiative, commissioning portraits of Holocaust survivors, exhibited at Buckingham Palace, tells us what we already knew – that he shares his mother’s commitment to our cause with determination and vigour.
Each time a member of the Royal family meets a survivor, visits a Holocaust site, and uses their voices to raise awareness - they encourage people the length and breadth of the country, and beyond, to remember and reflect on the past. The role that they have played and will continue to play – inspired and led by Her Majesty The Queen – cannot be underestimated, and has helped shape how the Holocaust will be remembered for generations to come.
