Kate Middleton Has Emotional Reunion with Holocaust Survivors She Previously Photographed at Memorial Event
Kate Middleton's warm way was on display at a ceremony commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz-Birkenau liberation.
On Jan. 27, the Princess of Wales, 43, joined Prince William at a London service honoring Holocaust Memorial Day on what doubled as the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. The event was Princess Kate's first engagement since announcing Jan. 14 that she is in remission, and the royal reunited with two Holocaust survivors that she previously photographed for an exhibit marking the 75th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation.
The Princess of Wales voiced her joy to see Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, who both lived through the Holocaust as children and previously posed for photos Kate took at Kensington Palace, unveiled in 2020. "I want to give you a big cuddle," Princess Kate told Frank, 89, when she saw him again on Jan. 27, the Daily Mail reported, and wrapped him in a hug.
Related: Kate Middleton Makes Last-Minute Appearance with Prince William at Poignant Event: 'It's Good to Be Able to Be Here'
According to the outlet, Frank thanked the princess for giving him a Christmas card and they spoke about his family.
Princess Kate had another huge hug for Bernstein when she saw her on Jan. 27, and sat down to chat beside her.
"[It is] such a treat for me [to see] an old friend," the Princess of Wales told Bernstein, 87, who gently touched Kate's face.
Kate also had a tactile way with other survivors she spent time with, and laughed when one man paid her a compliment. According to the Daily Mail, Robert George Berkowitz said, "William is the luckiest man in the world to have you!", to which Kate giggled and relayed, "I will tell him that!"
The Prince and Princess of Wales first spent time with Holocaust survivors at the event to hear their personal stories, and then moved to a ceremony. There, Prince William, 42, delivered a reading and the couple lit candles to honor all lives lost in the Holocaust and other genocides.
Holocaust Memorial Day honors the six million Jewish people who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as the millions killed under Nazi persecution and later genocides around the world. The annual commemoration's Jan. 27 date is timed to the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland, and Princess Kate previously picked up her camera to photograph Frank and Bernstein for the 75th anniversary.
The Princess of Wales has a well-documented photography hobby, and took individual pictures of the Holocaust survivors with their grandchildren for the "Generations: Portrait of Holocaust Survivors" exhibit before Holocaust Memorial Day in 2020. The display was organized by the Holocaust Memorial Trust, Jewish News and Royal Photographic Society (which Kate back as patron) and unveiled at the Imperial War Museums in London in 2021 after a pandemic delay.
Related: King Charles Makes History with Emotional Visit to Auschwitz for Holocaust Memorial Day: 'A Sacred Moment'
Frank previously told PEOPLE that Princess Kate is "quite talented" and used a Canon camera with tripod to photograph him with his granddaughters, Maggie and Trixie.
"She transmitted it to a screen on a monitor, and she would be looking at the monitor at the same time to see if everything was right. She took quite a lot of photographs," he said then.
The survivor, who helps keep the history of the Holocaust alive by sharing his story of surviving the Theresienstadt concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic, praised Princess Kate and Princes William for helping to keep Holocaust history in younger generations' minds.
"Both she and Prince William have been extremely interested in the Holocaust and the Memorial Day. William has been in the press with Holocaust survivors and his father [King Charles] is patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. There is an interest particularly in letting people know what happened, getting their testimony and passing it along to other generations," Frank said.
"It started with Princess Diana walking through the minefields," Frank said in reference to the impact that Prince William's late mother had in using her royal spotlight to illuminate important issues. "They are genuinely interested in what we are doing and the Holocaust Memorial Trust and what we are trying to do for the younger generation."
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
King Charles traveled to Poland on Jan. 27 for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, becoming the first British monarch to visit the site of the former concentration camp.
A royal source described his visit as a "a deeply personal pilgrimage for the King — paying tribute both as man and monarch."
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