The Duchess Reunited with Holocaust Survivors She Will "Never Forget"

To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, the Duchess of Cambridge spoke to survivors and Holocaust Educational Trust’s youth ambassadors. The call took place last Tuesday according to the Court Circular. During the conversation, the importance of "remembering the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, and of championing younger generations to ensure that the stories of survivors continue to be shared into the future" was discussed.

There was a special reunion when the Duchess was joined on the call by Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg.

William and Kate were honoured to meet the incredibly brave survivors in Stutthof in 2017.

Manfred and Zigi were sent to the Stutthof concentration camp by the Nazis when they were just 14.

The 2017 return to Stutthof marked the first time they had been there since the end of the war. Mr Goldberg said, "For me it is quite a seismic event because, since I was permitted to come to England in September 1946, I have not set foot in either Germany or Poland. I decided that I really had to face the past and hence my consent to come." Mr. Shipper shared some of his heartbreaking experiences. "I said to my friends I can't walk, they said they'll help me, that was him and other people like that. Had it not been for them, I would not have been here today. I wouldn't have survived. They said, 'You know what will happen to you if you don't walk? They will shoot you.' I said, 'But I can't walk.' They said, 'We'll help you.'"

Kate told Zigi and Manfred, "I will never forget the first time when we met in 2017 and your stories have stuck with me since then. It's important that these stories are passed on to the next generation." She also praised the survivors during a conversation with youth ambassadors. "We all have a role to play; all generations have a role to play in making sure the stories that we have heard from Zigi and Manfred today live on and ensure that the lessons that we have learnt are not repeated in history for future generations. I am really glad there is the younger generation flying the flag for this work."

Kensington Palace added:

"Alongside other survivors, Zigi and Manfred frequently share their testimonies with young people around the country through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Outreach Programme, helping to educate younger generations about the Holocaust by putting a human face to its history. 

Established in 1988, the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) works in schools, universities and local communities in order to educate young people from all backgrounds about the Holocaust and the vital lessons learnt from this period of history. "

Hello! writes:

The Duchess, Zigi and Manfred spoke to two students who have become HET Ambassadors, Farah Ali and Maxwell Horner. Maxwell told them he had been inspired both by a family visit to Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam and his visit to Auschwitz.

"I've always had from quite a young age a strong passion about human rights and injustice. I jumped at the opportunity," he said. "I feel the Holocaust is a focal point of injustice. It was the biggest injustice of modern history. If we learn about the Holocaust, we can make sure it doesn't happen again, make sure we recognised the signs leading up to genocide."

Asked by the Duchess how she felt hearing the men's stories, Farah said: "There are no words to describe it."

Exactly one year ago, it was revealed the Duchess had photographed two Holocaust survivors, Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, with their grandchildren. The portraits were part of an exhibition which brought together 75 images of survivors with their loved ones to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.

Steven Frank was photographed with his granddaughters Maggie and Trixie. Originally from Amsterdam, Steven survived several concentration camps as a child. It was heartbreaking to read Steven and his brothers were 3 of only 93 children out of 15,000 who survived Theresienstadt camp where life or death was determined capriciously. Speaking about the project, Mr Frank said, "I would hope that the people who look at these pictures not only look at the beauty of the photography, but they will also think of the people behind the photos and their families that they lost in the Holocaust."

Yvonne Bernstein is originally from Germany. She was a hidden child throughout most of the Holocaust, travelling in the care of relatives through France and frequently changing homes. Yvonne was photographed with her eleven-year-old granddaughter Chloe Wright.

The Duchess was inspired by 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer because both Steven and Yvonne have strong links to the Netherlands. Speaking about the experience Kate said, "While I have been lucky enough to meet two of the now very few survivors, I recognise not everyone in the future will be able to hear these stories first hand. It is vital that their memories are preserved and passed on to future generations, so that what they went through will never be forgotten. I recall reading The Diary of Anne Frank as a young girl. Her sensitive and intimate interpretation of the horrors of the time was one of the underlying inspirations behind the images. I wanted to make the portraits deeply personal to Yvonne and Steven – a celebration of family and the life that they have built since they both arrived in Britain in the 1940s."

The Cambridges attended the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony in Westminster on 27 January last year. The Duchess wore a selection of repeats for the ceremony: her bespoke, grey-belted Catherine Walker dress, Cassandra Goad Cavolfiore earrings, Jimmy Choo Celeste clutch, and Gianvito Rossi 105 black suede pumps.

The Duchess wore a grey top by Alexander McQueen for the call (with thanks to Kate's Closet). Made in Italy,  the sold-out fine knit ribbed top features a round neck, keyhole detail and straight hem.

The Duchess accessorised with a (currently unidentified) necklace and her Simone Rocha pearl earrings.

This year's ceremony will be streamed at 7 pm this evening. At 8pm, households across the UK will light candles and place them in their windows to remember those who lost their lives and to stand against prejudice and hatred today. To find out more please click here.