The Duchess of Cambridge was delighted to be reunited with Holocaust survivor, Manfred Goldberg, whom she first met in Poland almost five years ago.
Prince William and Kate first met Goldberg, along with his friend and fellow Holocaust survivor Zigi Shipper, during a visit to the Stutthof concentration camp during their Poland tour in 2017. It’s where Goldberg spent eight-months during the Nazi occupation of Poland and also where he met Shipper.
Last year, the Duchess spoke with Goldberg and Shipper via video call, to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Speaking at the time, Kate said: ‘Manfred and Zigi, I never forgot the first time we met in 2017 and your stories have stuck with me since then.’
‘It’s been a pleasure to see you again today and you are right Manfred, it’s important that these stories are passed onto the next generation.’
Last Wednesday, the Duchess was reunited with Goldberg, 92, at a Buckingham Palace garden party, with royal reporter Rebecca English commenting that ‘Kate looked so genuinely delighted.’
In video footage shared on Youtube by The Royal Family Channel, Kate can be heard warmly greeting Goldberg by saying: ‘Manfred. It’s so lovely to see you again. How are you?’
Goldberg, along with his wife, Shary, were attending the event in the gardens of the Queen’s home, which was hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Princess Beatrice and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Speaking of the reunion, Goldberg told the Jewish News: ‘As she came along, she said, “Oh hello Manfred, how lovely to see you.” She also thanked me for all the hard work I have been doing over the years, speaking to thousands of school children, mainly of A-level grades, who are old enough to really understand.
‘Then I complimented her on remembering our previous conversations years back. She said, “I will never forget”.’
Kate has also produced photographic portraits of Goldberg and Shipper, which appeared in Generations: Portraits of the Holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum last year.
An Instagram post by the official account for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made reference to the ‘poignant stories’ that Kate has heard over recent years and signed off stating: ‘It’s vital these stories live on for younger generations.’