Duke ‘profoundly moved’ by visit to Holocaust memorial
Jewish couple thank him for his great-grandmother’s courage in sheltering their ancestors from the Nazis
THE descendants of a Jewish family who survived the Holocaust after being sheltered by the Duke of Cambridge’s great-grandmother thanked him personally for her heroism, telling them: “We all owe our existence to the courage of Princess Alice”.
The Cohen family, who yesterday spent time privately with the Duke at the residence of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, told him of their “difficult but beautiful” family history, in an “extremely moving” encounter during his tour to Israel.
The Duke, who later found himself embroiled in the Middle Eastern peace process after being asked to convey diplomatic messages, said the deeds of Princess Alice, the mother of the Duke of Edinburgh who protected Jews from the Gestapo in her Athens home, were of “great pride for my whole family”.
The meeting was a deeply personal moment for the Duke on a day when he also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, honouring the memory of six million Jews murdered by the Nazis as he laid a wreath.
He said later: “I am well aware that the responsibility falls now to my generation to keep the memory alive of that great crime as the Holocaust generation passes on – and I commit myself to doing this.”
The first full day of the Duke’s trip to Israel saw him meet with Mr Netanyahu and his wife Sara, before spending time with Reuven Rivlin, Israel’s president. In a deviation from what was intended to be a non-political visit, Mr Rivlin told the Duke he was arriving “not just as a prince but as a pilgrim to the Holy Land”, before appealing for his help as an envoy in the peace process. “I know you are going to meet [Palestinian Authority] president Abbas,” he said. “I am asking you to send a message of peace.
“It is about time that we have to find together the way to build confidence as a first step to bringing an end to the tragedy between us that has gone on for more that 100 years.”
The Duke said in a speech at the British Embassy: “This region has a complicated and tragic history... Never has
‘I know you are going to meet president Abbas. I am asking you to send a message of peace’
hope and reconciliation been more needed. I know I share a desire with all of you, and with your neighbours, for a just and lasting peace.”
David Quarrey, Britain’s ambassador to Israel, said: “We’ve obviously got a very strong interest in seeing progress from where we are now but I don’t think the Duke will be taking a particular political message.” Philippe, 31, and Evy Cohen, 62, who were at the embassy garden party last night, said their meeting had been “extremely moving for all sides”, giving them the opportunity to tell the Duke how Princess Alice – made Righteous Among The Nations in 1993 for her actions – gave their ancestors a home. They are descendants of the sons of Rachel Cohen, who was so loyally protected by Princess Alice that she once deflected their near-certain discovery by telling the Gestapo that her deafness had left her so confused that she could not possibly let them search her home. Princess Alice, who went on to become a nun and eventually moved into Buckingham Palace, died aged 84 in 1969.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex last night teamed up with the Queen for their second joint engagement in less than two weeks, to host a reception at Buckingham Palace with Prince Harry. The event, also attended by David Beckham and Sir Lenny Henry, saw awards handed out to winners of the Queen’s Young Leaders for 2018, which celebrates the achievements of young people across the Commonwealth.
The decision to send the Duke of Cambridge to Israel was not taken lightly by the Government. No member of the Royal Family had ever been to the Holy Land on an official visit, though many have been made to Arab nations. It always seemed odd that the region’s only true democracy was off limits. The unspoken rationale appeared to be that a Royal presence would give Israel kudos the British government was reluctant to bestow. The symbolism of this event, therefore, cannot be overestimated and its importance has not been lost on Israel.
Seventy years after the foundation of the Jewish state, this is seen as treating Israel as a normal, established democratic nation, not an international pariah. It is difficult to imagine a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn agreeing to it. Coming so soon after the Americans declared their intention to move their embassy to Jerusalem, it marks another coup for Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Our ties have never been stronger,” the Prince said last night at the British embassy in Tel Aviv. “We stand with you.”
However, his itinerary has been constructed to avoid the visit looking too pro-israeli. The Prince began it in Jordan and is meeting Palestinian leaders on the West Bank. In such a volatile region he needs to tread carefully but is clearly adept at doing so. His is an essentially non-political visit, albeit one with great political significance.
Israel’s president Reuven Rivlin asked him to take a message of peace to Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority. It would be nice to think that the Prince might have helped to advance the search for a political settlement in a troubled region.