Prince Charles to attend the World Holocaust Forum in Israel
Prince Charles will attend the World Holocaust Forum at the invitation of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in January, Clarence House stated yesterday.
Prince Charles. Credit: Dan Marsh via Wikimedia Commons.
The Prince of Wales will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the International Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem, along with some 30 heads of state from around the world.
His wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will attend a service at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland on 27th January, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The Prince of Wales has previously visited Jerusalem twice, once in 2016, and once in 1995 on behalf of the Queen, to attend the funerals of President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, respectively.
According to the royal statement, the Prince will “undertake a number of engagements on behalf of the British Government.”
This visit will be the first time that Prince Charles has undertaken an official program of diplomatic engagements in Israel.
Prince Charles also plans to meet with the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmoud Abbas.
Last year was the first time a member of the British Royal Family made an official visit to Israel when Prince William made his historic trip to the Jewish state.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen are among the other leaders who have so far confirmed their attendance.
Prince Charles sent an additional personal letter to President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin ahead of his visit.
In his letter, Prince Charles thanked the president for the opportunity to participate in the International Leaders’ Forum on 23 January 2020 and added that he was coming in order to express his solemn respects on behalf of the people of the United Kingdom.
The prince made special mention of the work undertaken by Yad Vashem and its ongoing work to ensure that humanity never forgets the horrors inflicted on the Jewish people during the most awful period in human history.
