King leads tributes to Anne Frank’s stepsister and holocaust survivor Eva Schloss
Eva Schloss MBE, a Auschwitz survivor and Anne Frank’s stepsister, has died aged 96, with King Charles leading tributes to her.
She passed away peacefully in London on January 3, 2026, the Anne Frank House has confirmed.
Her death marks the passing of one of the last living voices who witnessed the horrors of the Nazi death camps.
As co-founder and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust UK, Eva was a tireless campaigner against racism, intolerance and hatred.
A statement from the family said: ‘It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Eva Schloss.
‘Eva was a remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace.
‘We hope her legacy will continue to inspire through the books, films and resources she leaves behind.
‘We are incredibly proud of all that Eva stood for and accomplished, but right now, we are grieving.
‘We hope to hold a memorial event at a later date, and will share further details in due course.
‘We thank everyone for the love and respect shown to Eva over the years.’
King Charles, who danced with Eva while visiting a north London Jewish community centre in 2022, said he was ‘privileged and proud’ to have known her.
In a statement, the King said: ‘My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the death of Eva Schloss.
‘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.
‘We are both privileged and proud to have known her and we admired her deeply. May her memory be a blessing to us all.’
Who was Eva Schloss?
Eva Schloss was born in Austria in 1929.
Her family escaped from the Nazis by moving to Amsterdam, where they became neighbours of the Franks.
Eva and Anne Frank, who were born just a few months apart, would often play together.
Both families had to go into hiding on the same day in 1942.
In 1944, Eva’s family was betrayed and sent to concentration camps.
Eva and her mother survived, while her father and brother were murdered.
After the war, Eva settled in London, where she met and married Zvi Schloss, and, in the following year, her mother Frtizi married Anne Frank’s father Otto.
Eva dedicated her life to global peace and Holocaust education, where she would often talk about her experiences to audiences around the world.
She also wrote three books: Eva’s Story, After Auschwitz and The Promise.
In 1990, Eva co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK which was set up to empower young people aged nine to 15 to challenge all types fo prejudice by learning from Anne Frank and the Holocaust.
The Trust worked with more than 132,000 young people through the Schools Programme and trained under 5,300 young people as Peer Educators in 2024 alone.
In 2024, Eva said: ‘We must never forget the terrible consequences of treating people as ‘other.’
‘We need to respect everybody’s races and religions.
‘We need to live together with our differences. The only way to achieve this is through education, and the younger we start the better.’
Source: Anne Frank Trust UK
Dan Green, Chief Executive of the Anne Frank Trust said: ‘Eva was a beacon of hope and resilience.
‘Her unwavering commitment to challenging prejudice through Holocaust education has left an indelible mark on countless lives.
‘Her legacy will continue to guide and empower young people to build a world free from hatred and discrimination.
‘We at the Anne Frank Trust mourn her loss deeply and extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time.’
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