Prince William and Kate Middleton Commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are doing their part to ensure that the horrors of the Holocaust are not forgotten. Today, William and Kate are attending the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony in Westminster, a service which marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkeanu, and honors survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution, as well as more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.
During this afternoon's event, Prince William is expected to give a speech, and the couple will meet with survivors.
The Cambridges' appearance comes just one day after Kensington Palace released two portraits Kate had taken of Holocaust survivors, which will appear in an upcoming exhibit by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the Jewish News, and the Royal Photographic Society.
The first picture features Steven Frank alongside his granddaughters, Maggie and Trixie Fleet.
Steven Frank was photographed with his granddaughters, Maggie and Trixie.
Steven (Centre, 2nd photo) was sent to Westerbork transit camp and then on to Theresienstadt. Steven and his brothers were 3 of only 93 children who survived the camp, out of 15,000 children sent there. pic.twitter.com/zaBhWyLHns— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 26, 2020
And the other image is of Yvonne Bernstein with her granddaughter Chloe Wright.
The Duchess also photographed Yvonne Bernstein with her granddaughter Chloe. Yvonne was a hidden children in France throughout most of the Holocaust, travelling in the care of her aunt and uncle and frequently changing homes and names. pic.twitter.com/eA51kjLyyV
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 26, 2020
In a statement, Kate described Frank and Bernstein as “two of the most life-affirming people that I have had the privilege to meet.’’
"They look back on their experiences with sadness but also with gratitude that they were some of the lucky few to make it through," she said. "Their stories will stay with me forever."
Today, Kensington Palace also shared a few behind-the-scenes pictures from the project, which show Kate interacting with Frank and Bernstein. (Swipe through to see additional images.)
A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Jan 27, 2020 at 2:07am PST
“Whilst I have been lucky enough to meet two of the now very few survivors, I recognize not everyone in the future will be able to hear these stories first hand,’’ Kate said. “It is vital that their memories are preserved and passed on to future generations, so that what they went through will never be forgotten.’’
Justin Cohen, the news editor of the Jewish News, also wants to make it clear that "this was far from a ‘point and click’ job" for Kate.
"Before meeting Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, The Duchess spent significant time preparing for the photography session, and once they had arrived she spent nearly two and a half hours with them, getting to know them and their stories, and taking their photographs,” he wrote.
“Why give you all this background? It’s crucial because it shows that our Royal Family are determined to follow up oft-repeated words of remembrance with practical steps as, day by day, we bid farewell to more survivors. It shows they are personally ready to take on the message of the survivor generation to challenge all forms of hatred wherever it rears its ugly head.”
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