Prince William and Kate Middleton graced the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony in Westminster on Monday, Jan. 27, to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The royal couple honored the survivors of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution, and genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur, while the Duke of Cambridge delivered a speech and read a letter about his great-grandmother, Princess Alice.
The future king recalled the greatness of his great-grandmother, who sheltered a Jewish family during the Nazi occupation of Greece. The note he read was written by Princess Alice's friend, who described her good deeds during the Second World War, per Express.
Prince William and Kate Middleton were only two of the high-profile guests at the event. They joined in several political, civic leaders, and the United Kingdom's faith at the ceremony. Here, they met with the Holocaust survivors and the people who witnessed the genocides.
Upon arrival, they were met by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust CEO Olivia Marks-Woldman. The Duchess of Cambridge also revealed that their kids knew about the Holocaust. In fact, she said they talked to Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, about it. "We were talking to the children about it earlier today," she revealed.
Meanwhile, Hello! Magazine noted that Kensington Palace released two portraits of the two Holocaust survivors, Yvonne Bernstein and Steven Frank, on Sunday, Jan. 26, taken by Kate Middleton herself. The future queen consort took the snaps at Kensington Palace, saying she was inspired to take their images because of her childhood reading of The Diary of Anne Frank.
Kate Middleton then said that the stories of people who survived the Nazi genocide of European Jews should never be forgotten. On the stage, she, along with her husband, helped the survivors to light six candles that would be used to share lights until all 75 candles were lit to mark the 75 years of the occasion.
After the service, Prince William shook hands with the Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg. Kate Middleton, on the other hand, was seen sharing some words with another Holocaust survivor Yvonne Bernstein, who was also the subject of one of her portraits.
In a statement, Kate Middleton said that she was touched by her meeting with the two Holocaust survivors and hearing their stories about the horrors they suffered at the camp. "Their stories will stay with me forever," she added.
