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KING Charles walked through the entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation after hearing harrowing stories from Holocaust survivors.

The King has become the first-ever British monarch to visit Auschwitz during what he's described as a "deeply personal" trip.

King Charles III touring Auschwitz-Birkenau at night.
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King Charles walked through the infamous gates which had the words Arbeit Macht Frei - 'work sets you free' - above itCredit: PA
King Charles III at Auschwitz-Birkenau, viewing floral tributes at the Death Wall.
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The King views floral tributes at 'The Death Wall'Credit: Getty
King Charles III lighting candles at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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Charles lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau in PolandCredit: PA
King Charles III at Auschwitz-Birkenau commemorations.
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He arrived for a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of its liberationCredit: PA
King Charles III and Queen Mathilde of Belgium at a commemoration.
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Charles wiping his eye during Holocaust Memorial DayCredit: AFP
Holocaust survivor and historian Marian Turski giving a speech.
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Polish historian and Holocaust survivor Marian Turski delivered an emotional speechCredit: AFP
King Charles III and other world leaders attending a ceremony at Auschwitz.
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The King alongside King Philippe of Belgium, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of DenmarkCredit: Getty
The Princess of Wales hugging a Holocaust survivor at a Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony.
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The Princess of Wales embracing Yvonne Bernstein at the event today

Charles, 76, toured the former Nazi concentration camp to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

It comes as Princess Kate joined husband Prince William to pay tribute to the six million Jews who died during one of humanity's darkest hours.

The King arrived to attend a service at the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum and memorial this afternoon.

He was joined by fellow monarchs including Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia, Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, and Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria.

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The King was seated next to Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary.

However there was no speeches from politicians or world leaders with the sole focus being on Holocaust survivors.

Paweł Sawicki, the deputy spokesman for the Auschwitz Memorial, the 80th anniversary is the "the last where we will have a visible group of survivors with us, and this is why it is so important to put the entire spotlight on the survivors";.

Charles was seen wiping his eyes as Polish historian and Holocaust survivor Marian Turski delivered an emotional speech.

The ceremony was held at the iconic Gate of Death.

Other dignitaries alongside the Monarch included President Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Olaf Scholz,  the Netherlands' King-Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, and Princess Catharina-Amalia.

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Survivors placed a light in front of a freight train carriage as a symbol of the event.

King Charles, along with other heads of state and Government, also lay lights in memory of those who died during the Holocaust.

After the ceremony, Charles walked through the infamous gates which had the words Arbeit Macht Frei - "work sets you free" - above it.

He viewed personal items confiscated from victims when they entered the camp.

The King's full speech

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To be in Poland on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we commemorate eighty years since the liberation of Auschwitz, is both a sombre and indeed a sacred moment.

It is a moment when we recall the six million Jews, old and young, who were systematically murdered, together with Sinti, Roma, disabled people, members of the L.G.B.T. community, political prisoners, and so many others upon whom the Nazis inflicted their violence and hatred.

It is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed to flourish, ignored for too long by the world.

And it is a moment when we recall the powerful testimonies of Survivors such as Lily Ebert, who so sadly passed away in October, and who
collectively taught us to cherish our freedom, to challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate.

In a world that remains full of turmoil and strife, and has witnessed the dangerous re-emergence of antisemitism, there can be no more important message – especially as the United Kingdom holds the
Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

As the number of Holocaust Survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders, and on those of generations yet unborn.

The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future.

Here in Krakow, from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish community has been reborn.

And there is no greater symbol of this rebirth than the Jewish Community Centre, in which we are gathered here today.

Standing on the steps of this wonderfully vibrant Centre some seventeen years ago, having encouraged its construction and taken immense pride in opening it, I was filled with a sense of hope
and optimism at the life and energy that coursed through the building.

So, returning today, along with World Jewish Relief, of which I am extremely proud to be Patron, that sense of hope and optimism has only grown.

With their support, together with other generous benefactors, this Centre has blossomed from the bud of an idea into an essential hub for the community.

Ladies and gentlemen, in a post-Holocaust world, projects such as this Centre are how we recover our faith in humanity.

They also show us there is much work still to be done if we are not just to remember the past, but to use it to inspire us to build a kinder and more compassionate world for future generations; a world of which we can be truly proud.

And this remains the sacred task of us all.

Earlier today King Charles visited the Jewish Community Centre, meeting survivors and volunteers, as well as unveiling a plaque.

The monarch also greeted wellwishers outside the centre, which he opened in 2008.

During a speech, Charles said the testimony of such survivors teaches us to "never be a bystander in the face of violence and hate".

He went on to say, remembering the "evils of the past remains a vital task", and knowledge should be used to inspire people to "build a kinder and more compassionate world".

He described the anniversary as a "sombre and indeed a sacred moment".

He went on to say: "It is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed to flourish, ignored for too long by the world.

"And it is a moment when we recall the powerful testimonies of survivors such as Lily Ebert, who so sadly passed away in October, and who collectively taught us to cherish our freedom, to challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate."

He added those lessons could not be more important in a world that has seen the "dangerous re-emergence of antisemitism" and remains "full of turmoil and strife".

The King said: "As the number of Holocaust survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders, and on those of generations yet unborn.

"The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future."

Charles was invited to Poland alongside foreign monarchs, leaders and Holocaust survivors.

It comes after the King hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace on January 13.

At the event, he told attendees: "I feel I must go for the 80th anniversary, (it's) so important."

Queen Camilla also vowed to "never forget" the atrocities as she spoke at the annual lunch of the Anne Frank Trust in central London last week.

King Charles III and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands at Auschwitz-Birkenau liberation anniversary commemorations.
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The King has become the first-ever British monarch to visit Auschwitz during what he's described as a 'deeply personal' tripCredit: AFP
King Charles III holding a lit candle at a memorial.
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Charles lays a candle to mark 80 years since the liberation of the concentration campCredit: PA
King Charles III touring Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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The King tours Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration campCredit: PA
Prince William and Kate Middleton lighting candles at a Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony.
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William and Kate lighting a candle at the ceremony
King Charles III shaking hands with a member of the public at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow.
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The Monarch spoke to members of the public during his visit the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow to meet Holocaust survivors earlier todayCredit: PA
King Charles III meets with Holocaust survivors at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow, Poland.
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King Charles met Holocaust survivors at the Jewish Community CentreCredit: Reuters
King Charles III at a Jewish Community Center in Krakow, Poland.
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Charles wiped his eye during the visitCredit: EPA

Commemorations at the former death camp began earlier on Monday when Poland's president Andrzej Duda joined Auschwitz survivors laying wreaths and candles at the site.

Their tributes were left at a reconstruction of the Death Wall, the site where several thousand people, mainly Polish political prisoners, were executed.

In a speech, Mr Duda said "we Poles are the guardians of memory today" and had a duty to maintain the life stories of the survivors.

More than a million people were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Second World War.

They comprised mostly of Jews, but also Poles, Soviet prisoners of war and other nationalities were killed as part of the Holocaust.

In total, more than six million Jewish men, women and children were killed.

The camp was finally liberated by soldiers of the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front, who opened the gates on January 27, 1945.

The Queen said last week: "Today, more than ever, with levels of antisemitism at their highest level for a generation, and disturbing rises in Islamophobia and other forms of racism and prejudice, we must heed this warning.

"The deadly seeds of the Holocaust were sown at first in small acts of exclusion, of aggression and of discrimination towards those who had previously been neighbours and friends.

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"Over a terrifying short period of time, those seeds took root through the complacency of which we can all be guilty: of turning away from injustice, of ignoring that which we know to be wrong, of thinking that someone else will do what’s needed - and of remaining silent.

"Let's unite in our commitment to take action, to speak up and to ensure that the words 'never forget' are a guiding light that charts a path towards a better, brighter, and more tolerant future for us all."

King Charles III meeting Holocaust survivors and volunteers at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow.
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Charles said it was 'important' for him to attend the eventCredit: PA
King Charles III at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow, Poland.
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The King speaking during his visit to KrakowCredit: AFP
The Princess of Wales speaks with a Holocaust survivor at a Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony.
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The ceremony marks the 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camp
King Charles III shaking hands with well-wishers in Krakow, Poland.
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Charles will lay lights in memory of those who died during the HolocaustCredit: AFP
King Charles III speaking with Holocaust survivors at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow.
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The King spoke to survivors and volunteersCredit: Reuters
King Charles III meeting with Holocaust survivors at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow.
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Charles opened the centre in 2008Credit: PA
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