Queen Camilla addresses antisemitism and islamophobia rise in powerful speech: ‘Words have…
Queen Camilla delivered a powerful speech at a Holocaust Memorial Day reception hosted by the Anne Frank Trust, emphasising the importance of remembering the Holocaust and fighting prejudice.
Speaking as Patron of the Trust, the Queen paid tribute to Anne Frank on the 80th anniversary of her death, noting that she would have been 95 today.
The Queen said: “Words have power,” contrasting the deceptive message over Auschwitz’s gates with Anne Frank’s hopeful diary entries.
She highlighted Anne’s written promise: “I’ll make my voice heard, I’ll go out into the world and work for mankind.
The Queen praised how Anne’s diary had fulfilled this promise through Otto Frank’s efforts, despite her death at age 15 in Bergen Belsen.
Camilla told attendees: “Her story demonstrates that even the quietest, loneliest voice in the wilderness can change the world,” the Queen told attendees.
The Queen addressed rising concerns about prejudice in modern society, noting that antisemitism is at its highest level in a generation.
She warned of “disturbing rises in Islamophobia and other forms of racism and prejudice” that must be confronted.
Recalling a speech by Holocaust survivor Marian Turski, the Queen cautioned against complacency in the face of discrimination.
She said: “The deadly seeds of the Holocaust were sown at first in small acts of exclusion,” warning against “turning away from injustice” and “remaining silent.”
The Queen concluded with a call to action, urging attendees to “unite in our commitment to take action, to speak up and to ensure that the words ‘Never Forget’ are a guiding light.”
She emphasised the importance of building “a better, brighter, and more tolerant future for us all.
The Anne Frank Trust, a youth education charity, works with young people aged 9 to 15 to challenge prejudice in all its forms.
The Trust reached 126,000 young people last year through its programmes combining Holocaust history, discrimination education and youth empowerment.
Research by the University of Kent has shown the Trust’s work has significant lasting impact on young people’s attitudes and knowledge about prejudice.
This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th marks 80 years since Anne Frank’s death the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet forces in 1945.
