Kate reads poignant letters from relatives killed in war

THE Duchess of Cambridge yesterday read poignant letters sent home by three great-great uncles who were killed in the First World War.

Francis, Maurice and Lionel Lupton were killed on the Western Front within two years of each other.

In the run-up to the centenary of the end of the Great War, Kate, 36, went to the Imperial War Museum in London to see letters and postcards from the three men.

They were the sons of her greatgreat-grandfather Francis Lupton. Their sister Olive was Kate’s greatgrandmother.

Captain Maurice Lupton, 28, was shot in 1915, Lieutenant Lionel Lupton, 24, died at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and Major Francis Lupton, 31, was killed in 1917.

Kate was shown a letter from Buckingham Palace on behalf of King George V – an unusual honour recognising that the family had suffered hard in losing three sons.

When Diane Lees, director general of the museum, showed her the palace letter, she said to Kate: “You might recognise the address.”

Positivity

The family papers, now part of the museum’s archive, also include cheery letters from the front.

After reading one by Maurice in 1915, Kate said: “What really struck me was they are writing home with such positivity. It is a side you don’t really see reflected.”

In contrast, there was a brief telegram sent by her great-grandfather Richard Middleton, an Army officer, who wrote to his father-in-law saying Francis’ body had been found.

It said: “Bad news. Francis body found near Taylors. Killed instantaneously. Bomb.”

The Duchess said: “It’s so bland, hardly any words. Sad.”

Anthony Richards, the museum’s head of documents, said of relatives getting a letter from Buckingham Palace: “It was purely because three brothers had lost their lives.

“I don’t know how many letters like this would have been issued, but it would have been very few.”