Inside Kate Middleton's sweet relationship with her 'old friend' Holocaust survivor Yvonne Bernstein as they share emotional reunion hug at memorial service
Inside Kate Middleton's sweet relationship with her 'old friend' Holocaust survivor Yvonne Bernstein as they share emotional reunion hug at memorial service
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The Princess of Wales was yesterday reunited with her 'old friend', Holocaust survivor Yvonne Bernstein, at a memorial service in London. Kate, 43, joined her husband Prince William, 42, to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during an official event at Guildhall to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
![[Kate and Yvonne shared a warm hug as they reunited - an example of how close their friendship has remained over the years]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/09/94588995-14332719-image-a-14_1738058339286.jpg)
The event included an emotional reunion with Steven Frank, 89, and Ms Bernstein, 87, both of whom the Princess photographed back in 2020. The Princess's close bond with both survivors was clear for all to see, putting on an affectionate display and warmly embracing Ms Bernstein.
![[Kate previously met Ms Bernstein in 2020, after taking her picture for an exhibition that year]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/09/94588993-14332719-image-a-15_1738058365416.jpg)
Kate described Ms Bernstein, who was hidden as a child in France throughout most of the Second World War by her uncle, as an 'old friend', clasping her hands and telling her it was a 'treat' to see her again. She had greeted the 87-year-old by saying: "It's so nice to see you," and hearing that Yvonne had suffered some health problems, she added: "You've had such a hard time, haven't you?".
![[Kate and Yvonne sat together at the event yesterday and were pictured holding hands and laughing]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/10/94589081-14332719-image-a-18_1738058473901.jpg)
The two shared an emotional hug, before Ms Bernstein gently touched the princess's face and arm, and thanked her for coming. The touching exchange was reminiscent of their previous meetings in 2020 and 2021 after Kate photographed her for a Holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum - and they've clearly remained close over the years.
![[Catherine and Yvonne had previously joked about how well the portrait had turned out when they met in 2020]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/10/94589093-14332719-image-a-19_1738058510875.jpg)
