Duchess Sophie has delivered an emotional message on behalf of King Charles to mark a somber event.
On Friday, June 11, the Duchess of Edinburgh commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, which occurred in July 1995 during the Bosnian War, where over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb forces.
During the event, held at Srebrenica Memorial Centre, Sophie read a message by King Chares in front of bereaved families, who gathered to remember their late husbands, sons and brothers.
"I am greatly saddened not to be with you in person today, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. I am most touched and grateful to be able to share these words as we pay our respects,” the 77-year-old monarch wrote.
King Charles continued, "I have spoken before about the terrible events of thirty years ago, confirmed as genocide by international courts. Many of the individuals responsible are now rightly facing justice, but this does not absolve the rest of us of our duties: both to acknowledge the international community’s failure to prevent the horror and to do all we can to ensure it never happens again.
“I humbly salute the Mothers of Srebrenica, and all who do so much, despite their continuing anguish, to preserve the memory of those who died,” he added.
King Charles concluded his message by emphasizing the importance of promoting tolerance and understanding across all faiths, nationalities, and ethnicities.
The solemn anniversary event also featured musical performances, readings, and montages of haunting images from the war.
