The Cambridges Attend Poignant Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony in Westminster this afternoon.

Holocaust Memorial Day takes place every year on 27 January, it is a day to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust under Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. 2020 is a significant year - marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

HMD 2020 also marks the 25th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia. It's also an opportunity to honour survivors and highlight their stories to ensure future generations never forget. The ceremony is organised by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, one of Prince Charles' patronages.

Kensington Palace said: "The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) promotes and supports Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD). HMD has taken place in the UK since 2001, with a UK event and over 10,000 local activities taking place on or around the 27th January each year. Each year across the UK, thousands of people come together to learn more about the past, honour the survivors and all those whose lives were changed beyond recognition, and take action to create a safer future. The HMDT works in partnership with many organisations to ensure the life stories of survivors are shared with hundreds of thousands of people."

People reports:

'As they arrived, the royal couple were greeted by Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Sir Ben Helfgott, honorary president and a prominent Holocaust survivor. William told them, “We were talking this morning about how you carry on this message for future generations. We will do our best.”

Last night, it was revealed the Duchess had photographed two Holocaust survivors, Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, with their grandchildren. The portraits will form part of a new exhibition due to open later this year. The project aims "to inspire people across the UK to consider their own responsibility to remember and share the stories of those who endured persecution at the hands of the Nazis."

The Duchess described the experience as a "privilege", adding the stories she heard "will stay with me forever". Kate continued: "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". Click here to read the post on Kate's portraits in its entirety.

Inside, the Duchess reunited with Yvonne Bernstein.

At the end of the video below, you can hear Kate (towards the end) telling Yvonne: "You were brilliant, you were very patient with me."

Hello!'s Emily Nash was reporting from the event: "After a deeply moving ceremony, William and Kate told survivors they had spoken to their children about the Holocaust. 'We were talking to the children about it earlier today,' Kate told Mala Tribich, who survived Bergen-Belsen and now tells her story in schools."

William and Kate spent time with survivors and their families.

Presented by Huw Edwards, it included performances from cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, accompanied by his brother Braimah, as well as Sir Simon Russell Beale, Rebecca Front, Nina Wadia, Georgina Campbell and the Fourth Choir.

William and Kate participated in a candle-lighting ceremony on the stage with survivors.

Six candles were lit - each marking one million Jews who perished during the Holocaust. Below, footage of Yvonne lighting her candle.

Six candles of remembrance were lit at the front of the ceremony by survivors of the Holocaust and recent genocides to represent the 6 million Jews who lost their lives.

🎥@BBCStudiosLive pic.twitter.com/KyhW0ugeiv

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 27, 2020

Prince William gave a reading with a very special family connection - a letter from a friend of his late great-grandmother Princess Alice (Prince Philip's mother) revealing the extent of her efforts to help a Jewish family during the Holocaust.

The Telegraph reports:

'The Duchess appeared emotional as her husband read the extract from a letter about Princess Alice's bravery.

It said: "It was thanks to the courageous rescue of Princess Alice that the members of the Cohen family were saved.

"The members of the Cohen family left the residence three weeks after liberation, aware that by virtue of the Princess's generosity and bravery had spared them from the Nazis."

It went on to reveal that Mrs Cohen's  great-granddaughter, Evy Cohen, said two years ago: "My family would not exist without the courageous act of Princess Alice. Her story of incredible courage must keep being told in her memory.

"My generation, the past generation and the future generation are, and will eternally be, grateful to his great-grandmother Princess Alice for the great act of bravery, risking her own life to take in a family in need."'

Indeed, just last week Prince Charles visited his grandmother's tomb on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Speaking to world leaders at Yad Vashem he said: "I have long drawn inspiration from the selfless actions of my dear grandmother, Princess Alice of Greece, who in 1943, in Nazi-occupied Athens, saved a Jewish family by taking them into her home and hiding them. My grandmother, who is buried on the Mount of Olives, has a tree planted in her name here at Yad Vashem, and is counted as one of the Righteous Among the Nations – hasidei ummot ha`olam – a fact which gives me, and my family, immense pride." Below, a young Prince Philip with his mother.

Embed from Getty Images

As patron, Prince Charles wrote the foreword for the ceremony's programme:

'As Patron, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all to the National Commemorative Ceremony for Holocaust Memorial Day 2020.

The commemoration of seventy-five years since the camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated is truly an occasion of national significance and I am heartened to hear of thousands of events taking place in all parts of the United Kingdom to mark this sombre, but significant anniversary.

With the invaluable support of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, people of all ages and backgrounds are enabled to learn from the Holocaust and more recent genocides.

Today is also the beginning of a whole year of reflection, as it also marks the seventy-fifth anniversaries of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen and Dachau camps, as well as the commemorations, later in the year, of the end of the Second World War itself. In July we will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the genocidal massacre in Srebrenica, Bosnia. While all these occasions call us to remember, they must also call us to resolve that such unutterable evil shall never again be allowed to grow.

As we stand at the milestone of seventy-five years since the end of the Holocaust, it is natural to reflect on how far we have come and what society might have learned since those dreadful events.

We can reflect that if we have found how devastating hatred can be, we have found that hope is stronger still. If we have seen the worst of human nature, we are the better prepared to guard against it.

With such sobering knowledge comes great responsibility. Wherever we see malice that seeks to marginalise; wherever identity is subjected to hostility, we must, as this year’s theme reminds us, Stand Together to oppose it.

This seventy-fifth anniversary is therefore a time for us all to resolve to act with greater compassion, greater humanity and greater courage, so that, guided by lessons from this darkest time in our shared history, we can create a shared future where no such shadows can fall.'

The HMDT shared the following on this year's theme Stand Together: "The theme for HMD 2020 is Stand Together. It explores how genocidal regimes throughout history have deliberately fractured societies by marginalising certain groups, and how these tactics can be challenged by individuals standing together with their neighbours, and speaking out against oppression. In the years leading up to the Holocaust, Nazi policies and propaganda deliberately encouraged divisions within German society – urging ‘Aryan’ Germans to keep themselves separate from their Jewish neighbours. The Holocaust, Nazi Persecution of other groups and each subsequent genocide, was enabled by ordinary citizens not standing with their targeted neighbours."

Guests at today's ceremony were among the first to see a new national exhibition of memorial flames made by community groups across the UK.

This moving creation is part of the memorial flames exhibition we mentioned earlier in the post. It includes a portion of Pavel Friedmann's haunting poem 'The Butterfly'.

When he was 21 years old, Pavel Friedmann was sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp where he penned the piece on a thin scrap of paper. Pavel was moved to Auschwitz in 1944 where he sadly died. The poem was discovered after the camps were liberated and donated to the Jewish Museum in Prague.

The poem inspired an exhibition at the Holocaust Museum Houston where 1.5 million paper butterflies were created to symbolize the number of children who perished in the Holocaust. The remembrance project has travelled all over the world.

The Butterfly

The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing
against a white stone. . . .
Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly 'way up high.
It went away I'm sure because it wished to
kiss the world good-bye.
For seven weeks I've lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto.
But I have found what I love here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don't live in here,
in the ghetto.

One of the survivors Kate photographed, Steven Frank, was sent to Theresienstadt with his family, like Pavel Friedmann. Writing this post I wondered if their paths ever crossed. Yesterday I learned Steven and his brothers were three of only 93 children who survived the concentration camp. The heartbreaking figure has leaned on me since. Over 14,000 never walked out, never had the opportunity to grow up and live their lives. Their childhoods destroyed and futures stolen. Some atrocities are so horrific, it's unfathomable to contemplate the reality they lived. Yet in the face of such tragedy, survivors like Steven are determined to share their stories and educate young people. He visits schools and speaks frankly with students; he has also worked with the Forever Project who asked him 920 questions to record his survivor testimony. Long after he's gone, future generations will hear first hand in a 3D interactive format. He hopes his great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren will hear his words in the future. Click here to hear a two-hour talk with Steven filmed in Luxembourg.

When Steven addresses young people he tells them: "The 9th May 1945. That was a day we longed for, hoped for, prayed for and then suddenly there it was when the Second World War came to an end. And I give this talk in the memory of all those children who never came home."

I know we're all thinking of courageous survivors like Steven and Yvonne today, and the 7,000 prisoners of Auschwitz who were liberated 75 years ago, following 1,689 days of suffering, torture and murder.

Our thoughts are also with all those like Pavel Friedmann whose lives were taken from them at the hands of such evil.

Given the gravity of today, we'll keep the fashion details as brief as possible. The Duchess wore a selection of repeats for the ceremony, including her bespoke grey belted Catherine Walker dress.

Kate debuted the piece last March for an engagement with the Queen.

Kate accessorised with her Cassandra Goad Cavolfiore earrings.

Carried her black velvet Jimmy Choo Celeste clutch.

And her Gianvito Rossi 105 black suede pumps.

Tomorrow, the Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of Evelina London Children’s Hospital and Patron of the National Portrait Gallery, will join a creative workshop run by the National Portrait Gallery’s Hospital Programme at Evelina London.

UPDATED: The Duchess Photographs Holocaust Survivors: "Their Stories Will Stay With Me Forever"

Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day 2020 tomorrow, it has been revealed the Duchess of Cambridge photographed two Holocaust survivors, Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, with their grandchildren. The portraits will be part of a new exhibition due to open later this year, which will bring together 75 images of survivors with their loved ones to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust. Kate took the photos earlier this month at Kensington Palace in her role as patron of the Royal Photographic Society.

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". Below Steven (in the centre) with his parents and brothers as a young boy.

More from the Royal Photographic Society:

His granddaughter Trixie said: ‘It was amazing, The Duchess of Cambridge was really interested in our family and in Opa’s story, and the items we brought with us.’ Her sister Maggie said ‘I think it helped put into perspective that he’s just our Opa – he’s our grandpa as well as a Holocaust survivor. It’s important to tell the story so it doesn’t happen again.’

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.

Yvonne pictured as a little girl.

Speaking about the experience and the impact of meeting survivors, the Duchess said: "The harrowing atrocities of the Holocaust, which were caused by the most unthinkable evil, will forever lay heavy in our hearts.  Yet it is so often through the most unimaginable adversity that the most remarkable people flourish. Despite unbelievable trauma at the start of their lives, Yvonne Bernstein and Steven Frank are 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. Their stories will stay with me forever".

Kate continued "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 Duchess was inspired by 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer because both Steven and Yvonne have strong links to the Netherlands. The Evening Standard reports: "The pictures were taken next to a window that brought in light from the east, the direction of Jerusalem." Kate viewed several of Vermeer's works including 'Girl With A Pearl Earring' at the Mauritshuis art museum during her first solo overseas visit to the the Netherlands in 2016. 

Readers will recall William and Kate visited Stutthof in Poland in 2017. Stutthof was generally regarded as having been amongst the worst in the Nazi concentration camps, causing the deaths of tens of thousands. They met two survivors Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg who shared their harrowing stories. Kate said to them: "What you have been through and you still hold in your memories must be extremely difficult to speak about. Thank you very much for meeting us."

The Holocaust Memorial Trust shared more on the exhibition:

'We are pleased to have worked in partnership with Jewish News and the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) on this exciting project. The project aims to honour the victims of the Holocaust and to celebrate the full lives that survivors have built in the UK, and was originally conceived by Justin Cohen of the Jewish News. 

Each of the portraits depicts the special connection between a survivor and younger generations of their family, who over the coming years will carry the legacy of their grandparents. However, the project also aims to inspire people across the UK to consider their own responsibility to remember and share the stories of those who endured persecution at the hands of the Nazis.

Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said of the project: ‘We are so pleased to be part of this project, as people from across the UK come together to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. The exhibition will be a fitting way to mark 75 years since the world was left scarred by the Holocaust. The survivors featured in these portraits all have very different stories, but each of their lives has been fundamentally changed by the trauma and loss they experienced. What connects these individuals is that, after systematic persecution, they all made the UK their home and the country has been enriched by them and their families.'

The RPS also shared a portrait of John Hajdu, who survived the Budapest Ghetto, with his grandson Zac. It was taken by South African photographer Jillian Edelstein.

Swiss-born portrait photographer Frederic Aranda photographed Joan Salter with her husband Martin and daughter Shelley. Joan who fled the Nazis as a young child said "When I give my talks I show family photos, because I think it’s so important for them to see us as human beings, especially if they have just seen images of people in camps. I think the fact that the exhibition will include so many different experiences is so important – it will give a much broader idea of what it was like during the Holocaust rather than just hearing from one survivor."

As noted above, the exhibition is the brainchild of Justin Cohen. He wrote a superb piece detailing Kate's involvement from the moment he contacted the Palace to the photography session itself. You can read it in its entirety on the Jewish News website:

'Of course Kensington Palace don’t routinely provide behind-the scenes detail on the machinations that go into such projects but to me, as the grandson of a refugee from the Nazis, it’s important people know this was far from a ‘point and click’ job. I hope that I won’t be sent to the Tower but this time I’ll take the risk.

Having approached the Palace six months ago with the seeds of an idea for a photography project involving the Duchess to mark 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, I was delighted (not to mention surprised given the weight of requests the Royals receive) to receive a call asking for more details. Further calls followed and it wasn’t long before Palace aides suggested bringing in the Royal Photographic Society, where she is a patron, to help make my vision of 75 images a reality, and involving the families of survivors to highlight their fortitude in building full lives after the horrors.

But I didn’t dare believe this project would happen until I learnt how much time and thought the Duchess was personally putting into it. The fine art graduate spent several days researching what she could bring to the table in order to best capture these individuals for the future. She was at pains to ensure the survivors were comfortable with the vision and that the spotlight was on the heroes to be pictured and not the Duchess herself.'

Kate did a beautiful job with the portraits; from echoing Vermeer's fondness for domestic interiors in honour of Steven and Yvonne's connections to the Netherlands to using light from the east, it was filled with personal touches. At the heart of this is family history shared through generations and seeing the courage, determination and journey Steven and Yvonne have endured through the eyes of their grandchildren. We saw Steven's granddaughters gazing lovingly at him and Yvonne's tender moment with Chloe. I found the photos and the entire project deeply moving. As children living in a constant state of fear and uncertainty during the Holocaust, Steven and Yvonne must have had many moments where they thought their chances of survival abysmal at best. I'm sure they never imagined they would be recounting their experiences with future generations of their families 75 years later.

Tomorrow, the Duke and Duchess will attend the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony in Westminster.

Duchess Kate In Sparkling Red Needle & Thread Dress For UK-Africa Investment Summit Reception

On behalf of the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace this evening to mark the UK-Africa Investment Summit.

The UK-Africa Investment Summit took place in London today. It brought together heads of state and government and senior representatives from African countries, key multilateral agencies and high profile UK and African businesses. Kensington Palace said: "The summit will demonstrate the strength of the relationship between the UK and Africa, showcase and promote the breadth and quality of investment opportunities across Africa, and highlight the UK’s commitment to supporting economic development in Africa, including through the creation of jobs and new partnerships."

Upon arrival, William and Kate enjoyed meeting with guests and leaders from all over the world.

There were plenty of moments like this too.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex were also present. Below, the Countess speaking to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The royals greeting each other warmly.

Little family reunion at tonight’s reception! pic.twitter.com/YnxDG5ie7S

— Emily Nash (@emynash) January 20, 2020

Wishing Sophie a very Happy Birthday - she turned 55 today. The Countess was also in red tonight, choosing a red scalloped Alaia dress.

Princess Anne mingling with guests.

The UK's trade with Africa is estimated around £33 billion and between now and 2035, African nations will have to create 20 million jobs per year to keep pace with the rapidly growing population. The government revealed "In the lead up to the summit, £6.5 billion of commercial deals have already been signed by British companies to deliver jobs, growth and investment across the UK and Africa, with deals worth billions more expected to be made during the course of the day. They are expected to mobilise billions of pounds in private sector investment for Africa, marking a new era of trade between the UK and Africa."

More from the Department of International Trade:

'Africa has 8 of the world’s 15 fastest growing economies and there is huge demand on the continent for clean, sustainable and innovative investment. As home to some of the world’s most enterprising technologies and the financial centre of the world in the City of London, the UK is perfectly placed to meet that demand and be the continent’s investment partner of choice. A range of programmes, totalling £370 million, include:

Supporting African countries to meet their rapidly growing energy demands through green energy, including better access to solar energy and electricity. Helping Africa thrive digitally through a £45 million programme helping young Africans, especially women, access the internet, develop digital skills and find jobs. Enabling at least 100,000 more women in Africa to secure high-quality jobs by funding their education and training.

A £200 million programme to help build basic trade infrastructure in southern Africa. The new programme will support upgrades to border posts, ports and roads. It will also work with governments and businesses to improve trade policies and cut red tape. Boosting the flow of private financing into African projects supporting girls’ education, healthcare and climate resilience.'

William and Kate chatting with guests.

During a speech, Prince William shared hopes for future trips to Africa and recalled proposing to Kate in Kenya almost a decade ago. "The African continent holds a very special place in my heart. It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died. And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee." He continued "As Catherine and I have said to several of you here tonight, we hope to have the chance to visit many more countries in the future and share our mutual love of your continent with our children." The video below has footage of William's speech in addition to some lovely interactions between Kate and Sophie. The Countess jokes about forgetting the time for the reception, and Kate tells her "I need to practice my French Sophie".

Another shot from the reception shared by Buckingham Palace.

A group photograph at the Palace.

Earlier today, Prince William met with several leaders including Rwanda's president Paul Kagame. People's Simon Perry revealed the Cambridges would undertake two tours this year. Perhaps visiting several Commonwealth countries in Africa is in the planning?

William greeting Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The Duchess chose a fabulous sparkling red dress by Needle & Thread for the occasion. It's a shorter version of the brands £410 Aurora Sequin Gown. During 'Styling Kate' posts, Needle & Thread has been suggested with some frequency and it's easy to see why. Designs include whimsical, elegant pieces - often times with signature embellishment or sequin detail. Many of their pieces would be ideal for Kate, I hope we see more in her evening-wear rotation.

The ruffled neck dress is described as "A vision of tulle and shimmering embellishment, the Aurora gown from Needle & Thread presents a grown-up way to wear sequins. From chevrons and diamonds to floral shapes and horizontal panels, each and every one has been purposefully placed, resulting in a light-catching finish that's sure to garner a whole host of compliments."

A shorter version of the Aurora is available at Net-A-Porter.

Kate teamed the dress her red suede Gianvito Rossi pumps.

And her Jenny Packham Casa clutch.

Kate completed the look with a new pair of statement earrings by Soru Jewellery. Kate's Royal Closet spoke to the brand who revealed they are a 2017 style. They will be available for pre-order tomorrow.

The £140 Ruby earrings are described as: "Handcrafted from 18kt yellow gold vermeil on sterling silver, genuine semi precious ruby gemstones are set within multi facetted sparkling crystals. Slight natural variances may occur between colours, shapes and sizes of the gemstones. We use natural gemstones which may contain internal inclusions, adding to the beauty and uniqueness of each individual gem."

The Palace confirmed the Duke and Duchess will attend the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony in Westminster next Monday. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Additionally, reports are beginning to surface regarding a two-day trip to the Republic of Ireland for the Cambridges in March. We should hear more on that in the coming weeks.