Queen's Bergen-Belsen visit underlines reconciliation
- Published
The Queen with German President Joachim Gauck
When the Queen was a teenager, British soldiers - who'd sworn allegiance to her father - were at war with Germany.
Now, as an octogenarian head of state, she'll visit one of the gruesome reminders of that conflict.
The Queen's officials say it will be a personal and reflective occasion.
The camp where Jews, gypsies and homosexuals perished in their tens of thousands has been called "a place of horror" by Germany's President Gauck; "an abyss" in the heart of his country.
The broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, who visited Bergen-Belsen in 1945 and who had an enviable command of the spoken word, told listeners he found it hard to describe accurately "the horrible things I have seen and heard".
The camp has gone; mounds marking mass graves remain.
The Queen has said her presence will underline the complete reconciliation that has taken place between Britain and Germany.