The Prince of Wales has commissioned seven artists to paint portraits of Holocaust survivors.
By Zevi Pilzer, World Israel News
The portraits of seven Holocaust survivors have been commissioned by Prince Charles of Wales to go on display at Buckingham Palace.
Seven artists selected by the prince will be seen painting the survivors in a “BBC Two” documentary called “Survivors: Portraits of the Holocaust.”
The film will show the seven subjects, all of whom spent time in concentration camps as children, sharing their stories as they are painted by the artists.
It is set to be broadcast on Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27, which is also when the exhibition opens in the Queen’s Gallery at the Palace.
The Prince of Wales, who is a patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: “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.”
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “These Holocaust survivors endured the very worst. They were rounded up into ghettos, sent to concentration camps and enslaved as forced laborers.”
“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,” Pollock added.
“The Nazis intended there to be no Jews left in Europe – instead, these survivors are honored at the heart of British society.”