King Charles has paid a dignified tribute following the death of Eva Schloss MBE, the Auschwitz survivor, stepsister of Anne Frank and co-founder and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust.

The monarch shared his message publicly after Mrs Schloss died in London on January 3, aged 96.

His words mark the loss of a woman whose life became devoted to remembrance, education and the fight against hatred.

King Charles issues heartfelt message after Eva Schloss’s death

In a statement shared on social media, the king wrote: “My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the death of Eva Schloss.”

He continued: “The horrors that she endured as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she devoted the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience through her tireless work for the Anne Frank Trust UK and for Holocaust education across the world.

Eva Schloss lighting a candle
Eva Schloss was 96 (Credit: Chris Jackson-Getty/POOL supplied by Splash News / SplashNews.com)
“We are both privileged and proud to have known her and we admired her deeply.

“May her memory be a blessing to us all.”

The Anne Frank Trust confirmed that Mrs Schloss passed away on Friday, January 3.

“As a girl, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived on the Merwedeplein in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank’s home,” the trust said.

“Like Anne, Eva and her family had to go into hiding from the Nazis, and after two years spent underground they were tracked down, arrested and deported. Eva survived Auschwitz.”

A life marked by survival and resilience

Eva Schloss and her mother, Elfriede Frank, were liberated from Auschwitz by the Soviet army in January 1945. At the time of their liberation, both were barely alive.

Her brother and father did not survive captivity.

After the war, Eva’s mother returned to Amsterdam and later married Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father. Otto Frank had also survived internment under the Nazis.

Following Mrs Schloss’ death, her family expressed their “great sadness”, describing her as their “dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother”.

Camilla Duchess of Cornwall attends a reception to mark holocaust memorial day and the 75th publication of Anne Franks diary for the Anne Frank Trust alongside Eva Schloss
Eva Schloss’ legacy and dedication to her work will live on (Credit: Chris Jackson-Getty/POOL supplied by Splash News / SplashNews.com)

Family tributes and lasting impact

In a tribute shared with the Jewish News, the Schloss family described Eva as “a remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace”.

Through her work as co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, Eva Schloss helped preserve Anne Frank’s legacy.

She travelled widely across Europe, sharing both Anne Frank’s story and her own.

Thus, ensuring new generations understood the consequences of intolerance and prejudice.

Her commitment to preventing history from repeating itself shaped the rest of her life.

That work occasionally brought her into contact with the royal family. On one memorable occasion, Eva shared a dance with King Charles during a Hanukkah celebration at a Jewish community centre in north London.

The dance was said to have left the monarch in high spirits.

In 2022, Eva Schloss was also photographed alongside Queen Camilla, a patron of the Anne Frank Trust UK. The pair had attended a reception together on Holocaust Memorial Day.

Eva Schloss’ legacy endures through her books, her talks and, above all, through the many lives influenced by her tireless work with the Anne Frank Trust UK.