Yesterday marked 75 years since the liberation of the former Nazi death camp, Auschwitz. Kate and William joined genocide survivors to light candles at an International Holocaust Memorial Day in London, also sharing a message to mark the event.

The pair shared an image to their Kensington Royal Instagram page of them sitting at the event, watching candle bearers pay their respects.

The caption read: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today attended the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony at Central Hall in Westminster.

“Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and honours victims and survivors of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution, and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

“Throughout the Holocaust, many people risked their lives to help others.

“During the ceremony, the Duke read an extract from a letter written about his great-grandmother,

Princess Alice, which described how she helped hide her Jewish friends, the Cohens, in her home.

“During the service, 75 candles of remembrance were lit to represent the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.

“After the ceremony, the Duke and Duchess spoke to Holocaust survivors, and survivors of genocides which have happened since.”

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The Duke gave a reading and the couple spoke to survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides.

Earlier in the day, dozens of world leaders joined survivors at Auschwitz in Poland.

Survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides also attended Central Hall in Westminster, and with their relatives, spoke of their experiences.

Holocaust survivors Arek Hersh, Mala Tribich, Yvonne Bernstein, Eva Clarke, Rachel Levy and Manfred Goldberg all lit ceremonial candles.

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Dramatic first-hand accounts were read of the horrors experienced drug the genocide by actors Nina Wadia, Rebecca Front, Martin Shaw and Sir Simon Russell Beale.

Prince William paid tribute to his great-grandmother Princess Alice, who he said risked her own life to save a Jewish family.

The Cohens lived in Athens in 1943, and sought protection in Alice’s home from the Nazis.

Her bravery was recognised by Israel in 1993.

The nation posthumously awarded her the title of Righteous Among the Nations.

Reading from a letter written by a friend of the princess, Prince William said: “The members of the Cohen family left the residence three weeks after liberation, aware that.

“He princess’s generosity and bravery had spared them from the Nazis.”

Kate later praised survivors and their relatives for sharing their “heartbreaking” stories.

She added that she and William had found the ceremony “very poignant”.

Also present at the event, Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, who told those listening her felt a “deep sense of shame” that anti-Semitism continued to rise in present day UK.

He said Britain seemed “to be dealing with a resurgence of the virus of anti-Semitism”.

He added: “I know that I carry a responsibility as prime minister to do everything possible to stamp it out.”

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