70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz: January 27, 2015

[maria-olivia]

The Prince of Wales went to the Funeral of the King of Saudi Arabia.

No Members of the British Royal Family , even their minor Members either for the Funerals of the late Consort Queen Fabiola of Belgium.

Why are they going far away and not even in Belgium or Poland ?

[hernameispekka]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

The Prince of Wales went to the Funeral of the King of Saudi Arabia.

No Members of the British Royal Family , even their minor Members either for the Funerals of the late Consort Queen Fabiola of Belgium.

Why are they going far away and not even in Belgium or Poland ?

I'm not saying this doesn't look bad or that they aren't the ones calling the shots. But if I remember correctly it is the government that requests them to attend things. Maybe they (stupidly) didn't want a royal representative?

[An Ard Ri]

PPE

PPE Agency

[cepe]

Originally Posted by Camsterlaird

It is a shame no one from the House of Windsor saw fit to go.

This event was commemorated in the UK with the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister and 200 survivors of the Holocaust and many others.

Posters on here may consider the event in Europe a priority but we remembered with victims who survived and made their homes in the UK.

It wasn't ignored or forgotten. IT was a very personal and special event.

There is more than one way to remember, and no one should be criticised for remembering as they choose.

The event is detailed on the Charles and Camilla current events thread.

[JessRulz]

Gallery from Getty Images.

[roseroyal]

Originally Posted by polyesco

the candle ceremony

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8X6FKBCIAAUvTG.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8X6A1xCQAAYz0e.jpg

Very moving photos.

[wartenberg7]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

A touched Prince x , Prince y says......
Nothing to me with what I heard and saw about this terrible Tragedy :
1.800.000 people lost their lives , only thousand
survivals

Nobody denies that. But this is, first and foremost, a royal forum about royal people. The horrifying, terrible Shoa and its victims standing in the focus you´ll find somewhere else. A royal social media is hardly the right place for that!

[Roskilde]

Gallery from BB of the candle ceremony:

GALLERI: Kongelige mindede ofrene i Auschwitz-Birkenau | Billed Bladet

[Muhler]

And the award for the most tasteless behavior at a solemn occasion goes to a Swedish TV-journalist. Rolf Frederksson, who is employed at the public service SVT.

Here reported in the Danish Jyllands Posten: Journalist spurgte om kronprinsesses nazistiske familiehistorie ved Auschwitz - Europa - International The DK journalist is not impressed, not at all!

While visiting Auschwitz and while Crown Princess Victoria was flanked by two holocaust survivors, the TV-journalist in his infinite wisdom decided to ask for a comment from Victoria, who said: "We must not forget history but we can learn from history".
Then the journalist had a massive brain hemorrhage and asked Victoria: "Has the Crown Princess thought about the family history? There were relatives further back who were sympathetic to the Nazis and then there was Folke Bernadotte who with the white buses saved people from the concentration camps". (*)

Victoria, who must have the patience of a saint, responded: "Nazism is terrifying. It's one of the absolute worst periods of mankind. But it's a long story and there is lot of information about it, which you can look into yourself if you wish".

Unsurprisingly the journalist has got a lot of heat for this, but will he admit that he put both feet in his mouth? Of course not.

Here is the clip from SVT: Kronprinsessan Victoria: �Nazismen är någonting fasansfullt� - Nyheter | SVT.se
The blonde moments starts at 0:44.

The Swedish court was not amused! The PR chief Margareta Thorgren says: "The purpose of the question is questionable. It's utterly wrong to ask it when the Crown Princess has gone there to show how important she thinks this ceremony is. I's claim it's amateurish journalism from the side of SVT".
http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/ilsk...ronprinsessan/
Judging from the comments the number of people who thought this was brilliant journalism is pretty limited.

The reporter defends himself by claiming it would be hypocritical not to ask the question he asked.

(*) That's a long story. But in short: Count Folke Bernadotte had diplomatic negotiations with top Nazi-leaders to ensure the release of predominantly Danish and Norwegian Jews towards the very end of the war. They were then transported back to mainly Denmark in white busses.
Few, if any, Danish and Norwegian Jews ended up in industrialised extermination camps like Auschwitz but were merely kept in "ordinary" concentration camps. - Not because of their pretty blue eyes, but more because some Nazis needed a bargaining chip. (An: "Look at me, I ain't such a bad guy. I was really against the whole extermination thing and I even rescued some of them Jews, see")
The relative in question was Queen Silvia's maternal grandfather who was a member of the Nazi party and who took over a factory that had previously been owned by a Jew. - The Jew got away and lived.

[roseroyal]

You're right- Victoria must have the patience of a saint! That person was so inappropriate on so many levels!
I mean disrespectful to Holocaust survivors , and his Crown Princess!

[Duke of Marmalade]

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is asked about 'Nazi' grandfather at Auschwitz memorial ceremony | Daily Mail Online

[LadyFinn]

Gallery from PurePeople
Victoria de Suède, Maxima des Pays-Bas Graves et bouleversées à Auschwitz

[Muhler]

A strong gallery from Royalista: Royals moved as they light candles for Holocaust victims | Royalista

[COUNTESS]

I think you can see real emotion on their faces. It is very touching that they care, really, care. You cannot stop things like this from happening again, unless you really care. Victoria is not responsible for her grandfather. Author Eli Weisel said it best. He did not believe in collective guilt. And he suffered under the Nazi's.

[TLLK]

IMO Victoria handled that moment with great poise.

[royal rob]

I'm very impressed with the way she handled it.


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Muhler

(*)
The relative in question was Queen Silvia's maternal grandfather who was a member of the Nazi party and who took over a factory that had previously been owned by a Jew. - The Jew got away and lived.

AFAIK, it was Queen Silvia's father (i.e. Princess Victoria's maternal grandfather) who took over a factory that had been previously owned by a Jew. I was not aware though that he had actually been a member of the Nazi party.

[roseroyal]

Originally Posted by Muhler

A strong gallery from Royalista: Royals moved as they light candles for Holocaust victims | Royalista

Originally Posted by COUNTESS

I think you can see real emotion on their faces. It is very touching that they care, really, care. You cannot stop things like this from happening again, unless you really care. Victoria is not responsible for her grandfather. Author Eli Weisel said it best. He did not believe in collective guilt. And he suffered under the Nazi's.

Very moving photos- especially the first one of Maxima. I was watching Oprah Winfrey's Selma 50 Legends who paved the way special, and there was a similar moment with David Olyello - what did she call it, broken in the spirit- when you feel the pain of spirits on the other side who have suffered. I think that's what happenend with Max. Call me crazy, but I think the victims - the murder victims were nearby, and she was feeling their pain.
I was most impressed with her yesterday- she was regal - a true Queen, yet there was a warmth about her- a caring- that came from her heart. Out of all the Royals- she along with Prince William, and Victoria impressed me most.
I don't want to start anything- and I totally love Maxima, she's a wonderful human being- but allegations about her father's past must have made this difficult.

@ Countess- I love EW, and I think he's right. I don't blame anybody- I just see it as a lesson, and honor the survivors and victims. I marvel at his loving, forgiving spirit. Was he there?
BTW, anyone else catch the documentary One Day in Auschwitz?

[maria-olivia]

Wartenberg, I must confess that I regret what I wrote before.
The Royal Attendence was a Honor of the Survivals.

[kbk]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

Wartenberg, I must confess that I regret what I wrote before.
The Royal Attendence was a Honor of the Survivals.

And it's a shame that there was no British royal attendance. Surely, it's the FCO's fault.