Kate Middleton shows warm connection with Holocaust survivors in behind-the-scenes pics from her photo shoot
TOUCHING behind-the-scenes snaps show Kate Middleton laughing and smiling with Holocaust survivors during her poignant photoshoot.
The Duchess of Cambridge showcased her skills as a photographer once again to help mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the horrific concentration camps.
Now Kensington Palace has released a series of black and white images taken during the day which show the 38-year-old chatting with survivors of the atrocity and their families.
She had clearly formed a warm bond with Yvonne Bernstein, who was hidden as a child in France for most of the Holocaust.
The pair were captured laughing as they stood close over a laptop, and again smiling as they nattered away on sofas.
In the formal images taken by Kate earlier this month, Yvonne, 82, is pictured showing her ID card with a J on it to granddaughter Chloe Wright, 11. And Steven Frank, 84, who survived several concentration camps, poses with his granddaughters Maggie Fleet, 15, and Trixie Fleet, 13, right.
Kate said meeting the survivors was a “privilege” she would always remember.
Both portraits were taken at Kensington Palace, with the Duchess painstakingly spending more than two hours ensuring they were perfect.
Two other survivors — Joan Salter, 79, and John Hajdu, 82 — posed for photographers Frederic Aranda and Jillian Edelstein.
Kate, who is Royal Photographic Society patron, said: “The harrowing atrocities of the Holocaust, which were caused by the most unthinkable evil, will forever lay heavy in our hearts.
What was the Holocaust?
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah - which means "destruction" in Hebrew - took place between 1941 and 1945.
It was a genocide carried out during World War II, where Jews were targeted among other groups.
The Romani people, ethnic Poles, Soviet citizens, Soviet prisoners of war, political opponents, homosexuals and Jehovah's Witnesses were also killed.
Any group which did not match the behaviour of the prescribed norms was targeted.
“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.
“It is vital that their memories are preserved and passed on to future generations, so that what they went through will never be forgotten.
“Their stories will stay with me forever. Whilst 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.
“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 project is a collaborative one between the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Jewish News and the Royal Photographic Society.
Kate and William will both attend the Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony in Westminster today.
SUPERB RESULTS
BY ARTHUR EDWARDS
CATHERINE’s first assignment was to photograph two holocaust survivors to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the holocaust.
I imagine that she was very nervous, but she tackled it brilliantly.
The picture of Steven Frank with his two granddaughters really impressed me because the first thing you notice is the cooking pot on his lap.
His mother carried it with her through every concentration camp that they were taken to, and collected small pieces of food in the pot and put water to it made a paste kept her and her son alive.
The lighting is very dramatic, it was dramatic times for those people whose only crime is that they were born a Jew.
The other picture of Yvonne Bernstein is also beautifully composed, and she is showing her granddaughter Chloe her German ID card.
Once again Kate has taken her time and got a beautiful photograph, using natural light.
Quite honestly I think she has done an excellent job. As patron of the Royal Photographic Society, I think they can be pleased that she is not only their patron but a very good photographer too.
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