Kate Middleton met with two Survivors for Holocaust Memorial Day in a Zoom call. The two survivors met at a concentration camp in occupied Poland during World War II and remained lifelong friends. As they recounted their stories of survival, one even surprised the Duchess by flirting with her.
Kate Middleton And Prince William Met The Survivors In Person In 2017
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg when the couple visited Stutthof concentration camp in 2017.
The visit today was conducted via Zoom because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Holocaust Memorial Day The Duchess of Cambridge caught up (on zoom!) with Zigi Shipper, 91, and Manfred Goldberg, 90 who she first met with The Duke during a visit to Stutthof Concentration Camp in 2017. Stutthof was one of the last camps liberated by the Allies in May 1945. pic.twitter.com/ZQeSWMb4eC
— Chris Jackson (@ChrisJack_Getty) January 27, 2021
While 91-year-old Shipper and 90-year-old Goldberg survived the horrors of the Holocaust, some of their family members did not.
However, the two friends did not allow the atrocities they faced to diminish their spirits. They both moved to England following the war.
Grateful to their new country for freedom, they have lived productive lives and continue giving back to their community by sharing their stories.
Six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. On this day, which marks the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi death camps, we remember those whose lives were lost and focus on never allowing this horror to happen again.
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The aging Survivors met at Stutthof when they were both teenaged prisoners in 1944. The duo – Shipper and Golderg – have remained lifelong friends. Today, they dedicate their time to bring “a human face to history.”
As times passes, we have lost most of the Survivors. These stories have become more important to share and record for future generations.
A recent study revealed about 2/3 of millennials and Gen Zs don’t know about the Holocaust. That is why their work is so important. We must never forget what happened.
The two men discussed how they witnessed many murders, including those of many women and children. They also escaped the fate of the gas chamber upon the arrival to the death camp.
Flirting With The Duchess
Despite the somber topic, Shipper and Goldberg maintained a genial disposition as they spoke to Kate Middleton. Zigi Shipper also made the Duchess laugh when he complimented her.
Zigi flirtily said to the future Queen:
‘I was so happy, you know. I didn’t need your husband. You are the one that I wanted.”
“Well Zigi I will tell him you miss him very much,” Kate teased him back. “And he sends his regards as well, obviously….it’s lovely to see you again.”
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The Royal Family has made Holocaust Education a priority. And, they will continue to share stories such as the video like the one with these Survivors below.