Sir Ben, who said he was “honoured” to receive the award, was joined by his wife Arza, their three sons and five of his grandchildren, for the event, which will be screened by ITV on Sunday.
Polish-born Sir Ben – whose parents and younger sister were killed in the Holocaust – survived Buchenwald and was liberated from Theresienstadt before being brought to the UK aged just 15.
In 1956, he managed to captain the British Olympic weightlifting team – and then achieved the same feat four years later.
In 1963, Sir Ben helped to set up the ’45 Aid Society to assist the more than 700 children who arrived with him in the UK after the War, leading the organisation for nearly half a century until 2016.
He has served as president of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and was a member of David Cameron’s Holocaust Commission which recommended the creation of a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in London.
Holocaust Educational Trust chief executive Karen Pollock has described Sir Ben as a “hero” who “dedicated his life to ensuring the past is never forgotten.”
