Portraits of seven Holocaust survivors will be placed on display in Buckingham Palace by Prince Charles.
The portraits by seven artists selected by Prince Charles will be part of an upcoming BBC Two documentary titled Survivors: Portraits of the Holocaust.
In the documentary, the artists chosen by the Prince of Wales, who is a patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, will be seen painting the portraits of the survivors. The survivors will also tell their stories of survival as their pictures are painted.
The program will air on Holocaust Memorial Day (January 27), the same day the portrait exhibit will open in the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace.
“As the number of Holocaust survivors sadly, but inevitably, declines, my abiding hope is that this special collection will act as a further guiding light for our society, reminding us not only of history’s darkest days, but of humanity’s interconnectedness as we strive to create a better world for our children, grandchildren and generations as yet unborn; one where hope is victorious over despair and love triumphs over hate,” Prince Charles said in a statement.
During the documentary, the audience will hear testimonies of the remarkable stories of survival of the men and women being painted, as well as meeting the artists painting the portraits of the survivors that “represent their pain and loss, as well as their dignity, light and hope.”
The seven survivors were all children when they were deported to ghettos and concentration camps. They are all in their nineties and live in the UK.
The portraits will serve to “stand as a lasting reminder of horrors which will one day be lost to living memory.”
“These Holocaust survivors endured the very worst. They were rounded up into ghettos, sent to concentration camps and enslaved as forced labourers,” Holocaust Educational Trust CEO Karen Pollock told the Jewish Chronicle.
"To survive the concentration and death camps and 77 years later see their portraits displayed in Buckingham Palace is very special indeed, and a poignant and fitting testament to their lasting contribution to this country. The Nazis intended there to be no Jews left in Europe – instead these survivors are honoured at the heart of British society.”
She added that Prince Charles has “long been a true supporter of Holocaust education and remembrance.”
“We could not be more grateful and indebted to him for the work he continues to do to ensure that the Holocaust holds a central place in British history and memory,” she said.
The two-episode documentary will be broadcast on BBC World News on February 12 and 19.
The portraits will become part of the Royal Collection and can be seen in the special display Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace from January 27 to February 13.