Kate stresses importance of telling Holocaust story to children

The Duchess of Cambridge joined her husband at a Holocaust Memorial Day event in London.

The Duchess of Cambridge has praised Holocaust survivors and their relatives for sharing their “heartbreaking” stories, as she revealed she has been educating her own children about one of the darkest periods in recent history.

Kate, who used her photography skills to contribute to an exhibition marking 75 years since the end of the Holocaust, spoke with those directly affected about the importance of passing the realities of what happened on to the next generation.

Both she and her husband the Duke of Cambridge said they had found a ceremony in London on Monday to mark Holocaust Memorial Day deeply moving.

The duchess, who said it was “our privilege” to meet survivors, described the ceremony as “very poignant”.

William, who read a letter during the service in praise of his great grandmother Princess Alice’s efforts in saving a Jewish family, said it had been “very moving”.

Kate, who said the stories she had heard were “heartbreaking”, praised Bergen-Belsen survivor Mala Tribich as “fantastic” in being able to share her experience with all those gathered at the event.

Holocaust Memorial Day — The Duke of Cambridge lights a candle (Chris Jackson/PA)

“She said ‘Well I have told my children, I’ve made them aware.’ I suppose she tells it in the measure that is applicable because young children, it’s very tricky (to tell them about it),” Ms Tribich said.

Arriving at the ceremony, William told survivor Sir Ben Helfgott he and his wife would “do our best” to continue to pass the message on to the next generation.

Yvonne Bernstein, who was a hidden child in France throughout most of the Holocaust, said William and Kate’s presence at the ceremony was “vital”.

His Royal Highness Prince William traveled to the Church of St Mary Magdalene where he paid his respects at the tomb of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice. Both The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales have made previous visits here Picture Arthur Edwards — The Duke of Cambridge previously visited the Church of St Mary Magdalene where he paid his respects at the tomb of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice, who helped save Jewish lives (Arthur Edwards/PA)

“They do a terrific job.”

The 82-year-old, originally from Germany, was one of four survivors to feature alongside their children and grandchildren in the moving new photographs released to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

Kate was among those behind the lens for the project and, on their release, described the survivors in her portraits as “two of the most life-affirming people that I have had the privilege to meet”.

Each of the portraits depicts the special connection between a survivor and younger generations of their family, who will carry the legacy of their grandparents.