On International Holocaust Memorial Day, Prince William and Kate Middleton paid tribute to the victims and the survivors of the genocide in an event in London. The Duke and the Duchess met with the survivors of the tragedy on the day that marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the largest Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Red Army.

According to BBC, the royals joined the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and faith leaders to attend the special service organised at Central Hall in Westminster. It was held to commemorate the genocide that resulted in the death of six million Jews and 11 million people of other religion during the period of Second World War.

The event brought together the survivors and their families. It was hosted by BBC's newsreader Huw Edwards. Meanwhile, Prince William paid a tribute to his great-grandmother Princess Alice by reading an extract from a letter written by a friend detailing her act of kindness and bravery to save a Jewish family, the Cohens, in Athens in 1943.

As per the report, Princess Alice of Battenberg, the mother of Prince Philip and mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Israel's Holocaust memorial institution, Yad Vashem.

The royal parents of three—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—also interacted with the survivors and families of the victims. They also lit candles in honour of those were killed in tragedy during the reign of Hitler. During the interaction, the duchess revealed to Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich that she has talked about the tragedy to her children. The royal mother said that she had to choose her words carefully to explain the mass murder that happened decades ago.

"The members of the Cohen family left the residence three weeks after liberation, aware that... the princess's generosity and bravery had spared them from the Nazis," William said while reading the letter.

Apart from the royal, Nina Wadia, Rebecca Front, Martin Shaw, and Sir Simon Russell Beale came together to read the primary accounts of the survivors and the victims of the spine-chilling and heart-breaking experiences in the Nazi camps.

After the ceremony, The Duke and Duchess spoke to survivors who took part in the service, including Yvonne Bernstein.

The Duchess recently photographed Yvonne with her granddaughter Chloe as part of a project to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust. pic.twitter.com/Mte7QA4guN

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 27, 2020

Later, Johnson addressed the ceremony that Kate described as "very poignant." He addressed the problem of anti-Semitism that is still practiced in the UK today and expressed his "deep sense of shame."

"Britain seemed to be dealing with a resurgence of the virus of anti-Semitism", Johnson said in his speech. "I know that I carry a responsibility as prime minister to do everything possible to stamp it out," he added.

Kate Middleton and Prince William
Kate Middleton and Prince William have watched every season of Game Of Thrones BRITTA PEDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images

He vowed to eradicate the problem and expressed his support to the National Holocaust Memorial and Education Centre near Parliament.

In addition, the Duchess of Cambridge went behind the camera to photograph two Holocaust survivors, herself. Paying tribute, she clicked the pictures of Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, along with their grandchildren, People reports.

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As part of the commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, The Duchess of Cambridge has taken photographs of two Holocaust survivors with their grandchildren. The first photograph features Steven Frank with his granddaughters, Maggie and Trixie. Alongside his mother and brothers, Steven was sent to Westerbork transit camp then to Theresienstadt. Steven and his brothers were 3 of only 93 children who survived the camp - 15,000 children were sent there. The Duchess also photographed Yvonne Bernstein with her granddaughter Chloe. Yvonne was a hidden child in France, travelling in the care of her aunt and uncle and frequently changing homes and names. The Duchess said: “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 families brought items of personal significance with them which are included in the photographs. It was a true honour to have been asked to participate in this project and I hope in some way Yvonne and Steven’s memories will be kept alive as they pass the baton to the next generation.” The portraits will form part of a new exhibition opening later this year by @holocaustmemorialdaytrust, Jewish News and @royalphotographicsociety , which will feature 75 images of survivors and their family members. The exhibition will honour the victims of the Holocaust and celebrate the full lives that survivors have built in the UK, whilst inspiring people to consider their own responsibility to remember and share the stories of those who endured Nazi persecution. Portraits ©The Duchess of Cambridge

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Today is #HolocaustMemorialDay, which takes place each year on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and honours survivors of the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution, and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Earlier this month, The Duchess of Cambridge met two Holocaust survivors, Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, as she took photographs for a project by @holocaustmemorialdaytrust, Jewish News and @royalphotographicsociety to mark 75 years since the end of the Holocaust. The Duchess’s photographs will be included in an exhibition of 75 images of survivors and their family members, which will open later this year. “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.” – The Duchess of Cambridge Photographs © Kensington Palace

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The photoshoot happened in Kensington Palace, the personal residence of William and Kate. These portraits will be a part of a new exhibition that includes 75 images of survivors and their families in order to mark 75 years of the Holocaust.

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