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King Charles Made History During His Latest Royal Outing & I Noticed Something Interesting

Well, this is a pleasant surprise

King Charles III at Jewish Community Centre (JCC) Krakow
Victoria Jones - Pool/Getty Images

Just two months after his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, King Charles returned to his royal duties like he never left. The monarch made his first public appearance at the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Center, alongside his wife Queen Camilla. Since then, he's been keeping busy with several engagements, from his solo outing at the Royal Albert Hall to his recent visit to Princess Anne's wedding venue. But now, His Majesty is making history with one of his most important royal events to date.

On Monday, the king paid a visit to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Krakow, Poland, then attended the commemoration service at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial in honor of the 80th anniversary of the concentration camp's liberation. In case you're wondering why it's such a big deal, this makes King Charles the first British monarch to ever visit the historic location.

On Instagram, the royal family shared a few highlights and wrote, "His Majesty met volunteers as they prepared donations at the JCC’s Free Shop, which provides essential supplies for refugees. To date, the center has supported over 380,000 displaced Ukrainians in Poland." In addition, the king got to sit down with a few Holocaust survivors. And though it was a serious occasion, I couldn't help but notice that he was in good spirits. In fact, the royal looked even more animated than he typically does at his public engagements. Allow me to present the evidence.

King Charles smiling with fans at Jewish Community Center
Omar Marques/Getty Images

In this striking shot, as King Charles arrives at the Jewish Community Center for the commemoration service, he's all smiles and laughs as he stops to speak with royal fans. And when he finally gets inside to greet the team, his relaxed body language and cheerful demeanor are contagious enough to set a lighter tone.

King Charles at Jewish Community Center
VICTORIA JONES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Here, the king stands next to Jonathan Ornstein, the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Center, as he greets the team, and by the looks of his facial expression, he's thrilled to be there.

King Charles at Jewish Community Center
Victoria Jones - Pool/Getty Images

Once again, King Charles's facial expressions were far from somber as he sat down to speak with Holocaust survivors, including Ryszard Orowski, Zofia Radzikowska and Bernard Offen. Rather, he was quick to offer a warm, genuine smile as he engaged with them.

King Charles III at Jewish Community Centre
Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty Images

As a bonus, His Majesty was presented with a thoughtful gift: a painting created by children who wanted to thank him for his visit. In response, he smiled so broadly—teeth and all—that one would think he just won the lottery.

Although the king undoubtedly lightened the atmosphere with his sunny disposition, he also delivered a touching speech at JCC, acknowledging the importance of remembering and honoring the victims. He said, "To be in Poland on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we commemorate eighty years since the liberation of Auschwitz, is both a somber and indeed a sacred moment."

He added, "As the number of Holocaust Survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders, and on those of generations yet unborn. The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future."

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nakeisha campbell bio

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

  • Writes celebrity news, TV/movie reviews and SEO-focused entertainment articles
  • Interviews celebrities and covers red carpet events
  • Has 8+ years of experience covering entertainment topics