Princess Kate hugs Yvonne Bernstein (Image: Arthur Edwards The Sun)
Princess Kate had an emotional reunion with “an old friend” as she and the Prince of Wales spoke with Holocaust survivors ahead of a ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
The royal couple met around 50 survivors of the Nazi campaign and survivors of subsequent genocides at a reception at London’s Guildhall on Monday afternoon, and Kate, 43, appeared overcome when she reunited with two people she photographed in 2020.
Wearing all-black, the princess hugged Yvonne Bernstein, 87, and Steven Frank, 89, and told them it was a “treat” to see them again.
As she sat catching up with Yvonne, the two women held hands, with Yvonne stroking the Princess’s arm and thanking her for coming. “It was such a treat for me to come and see an old friend,” Kate said.
She had greeted Yvonne, who was one of the thousands of Jewish children hidden across Europe during the Holocaust, by saying: “It’s so nice to see you,” and hearing that Yvonne had suffered some health problems, she added: “You’ve had such a hard time, haven’t you?”
The Princess of Wales said it was good to reunite with ‘old friends’ (Image: Arthur Edwards The Sun)
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Kate also shared a warm hug with Steven who thanked her for sending him a Christmas card and the two chatted about his family.
Steven was born into a secular Jewish family in Amsterdam and survived two camps during the Second World War.
As part of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Kate took photographs of Holocaust survivors and their families. The series, Generations: Portraits of Holocaust Survivors, opened at the Imperial War Museum, London, in August 2021.
William sat with Polish-born Alfred Garwood, who survived Bergen-Belsen as a child and Bosnian genocide survivor Sabina Kadic-Mackenzie, who now lives in Liverpool.
Both the Prince and Princess discussed their desire to teach their children about the Holocaust, with William saying: “George is getting to the age where he’s starting to understand things. So it’s getting interesting to talk to him about what happened.”
Princess Kate wore all black for the poignant ceremony (Image: Arthur Edwards The Sun)
The Prince of Wales attended a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day (Image: Arthur Edwards The Sun)
One of the survivors, Robert George Berkowitz told the Princess: “William is the luckiest man in the world to have you!” She giggled and replied: “I will tell him that!”
On arrival, the royal couple were welcomed by Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and Laura Marks, the charity’s chair of trustees.
“I can’t believe it’s been 80 years,” said William. “It’s staggering.”
Telling the Princess she was glad she was feeling well, Kate replied: “Thank you, it’s good to be able to be here.” Speaking ahead of her reunion with Stephen and Yvonne, she added: “It will be good to see them again.”
The royal couple spoke with Holocaust survivors at a reception (Image: Arthur Edwards The Sun)
Princess Kate and Prince William posed for a photograph with Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner (Image: Arthur Edwards The Sun)
The royal couple then posed for a photograph with 50 Holocaust survivors, along with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
Other politicians who attended the reception included Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, former Home Secretary Sajid Javid, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey.
Inside the Guildhall’s Great Hall, the royal couple sat solemnly through the hour-long ceremony which hosted by BBC presenter Reeta Chakrabarti.
The event featured readings from TV star Rob Rinder and the actress Bel Powley interspersed with music and archive film as well as the testimony of survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides.
William then gave a reading, telling guests: “I am honoured to join you today to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and to remember the millions murdered during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides.
“We also remember those survivors who have lived with scars, both mental and physical. Their bravery, in sharing with us the most harrowing moments of their lives, are extremely powerful and ensure that we never forget. I assure them we never will.”
The royal couple lit candles during the ceremony (Image: Getty)
He read an extract from the book Holocaust Heroes, which told how his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, protected a Jewish family from the Nazis in Athens.
As cellist Sheky Kanneh-Mason played Schindler’s List, the Prince and Princess took turns to light commemorative candles on stage.
Speaking afterwards, Ms Marks-Woldman thanked the couple for attending the ceremony.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales are providing real leadership at a time when communities are feeling so vulnerable and so isolated, but they’re not only providing leadership by joining us, they were actually joining in.
“That is such an example to all of us. We can all show up and be here, and we can all take steps to do something about what we’ve learned as we come together on Holocaust Memorial Day.”
Monday’s ceremony marked Kate’s second public engagement of the year, after she visited the Royal Marsden Hospital in London on January 14.
The 43-year-old revealed she is in remission from cancer, just over four months after completing chemotherapy after visiting the hospital where she received treatment.