The Waleses Commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day
I am sorry for the delay in this post (which is superseding the Monday Memory). A toddler going through a sleep regression and a morning doctor appointment for me, conspired to hijack my Monday! Yesterday was Holocaust Memorial Day, and it marked 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. As you know, the Prince and the Princess of Wales attended a commemoration ceremony and reception at the Guildhall in London.
Among those gathered were Stephen Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, both of whom were children during the Holocaust. The two were photographed by Kate at Kensington Palace in 2020 as part of the “Generations: Portrait of Holocaust Survivors” exhibit, which was co-sponsored by the Royal Photographic Society (of which Kate is patron). It was displayed at the Imperial War Museum in 2021 after the launch was delayed by the pandemic.
This guest told Kate “William is the luckiest man in the world to have you.” To which Kate smiled and replied, “ I will tell him that.”
The Princess of Wales was wearing a Boden sweater and Roland Mouret trousers with a long Catherine Walker coat. These are all rewears. She chose black Russell & Bromley shoes and carried a Chanel bag.
For some sparkle, Kate wore diamond earrings that belonged to the late Queen and a necklace that was ultimately identified as a vintage piece by a Jewish-owned brand—Susan Caplan.
We might be seeing a new professional rhythm from Kate. This is the second public engagement Kate has undertaken since her children went back to school. I expect we will see her every few weeks moving forward—without notice, to protect her ability to change plans. She is looking so well, which is the best way to wind down January, and I am so glad she was able to make this moving and important memorial day.
The face touch is more a generational and cultural thing, I'm thinking. They are probably seeing her as a grand daughter figure who showed them a lot of love and affection and are returning it the only way they know how. She seems to be leaning into it, which is a beautiful thing in this world of standing back by disingenuous powerful people. Her honest love is a wonderful thing. ❤️
Thank you so much, Jane! I saw many people criticizing Catherine for carrying a Chanel bag. While it is true that Coco Chanel was a Nazi sympathizer, there appears to be a lot of confusion about the ownership of the company. Many commenters seemed to believe that she did successfully steal ownership from Coco. I’ve used chat GPT to summarize below, because I’m in a hurry today. But first, I would like to point out that the bag she is carrying is a Karl Lagerfeld design launched in the 1980s, long after Coco’a death, and her bag is definitely vintage. The flatness of the quilting indicates it’s a vintage bag. She’s definitely promoting eco-conscious shopping, which is wonderful!
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Coco Chanel's relationship with the Wertheimer family, owners of **Parfums Chanel**, began in **1924** when she partnered with Pierre and Paul Wertheimer to launch her perfume line, including the now-iconic **Chanel No. 5**. The Wertheimers provided the financing and production expertise in exchange for a **70% stake** in the company, while Chanel retained only **10%** ownership. Though she remained the creative force behind the Chanel brand, the Wertheimers held financial and operational control from that point onward.
During **World War II**, Chanel attempted to seize full ownership of **Parfums Chanel** by exploiting Nazi-era anti-Jewish laws, as the Wertheimer family was Jewish. However, anticipating this risk, Pierre and Paul Wertheimer had already transferred ownership of the company to a trusted non-Jewish associate, Félix Amiot, before fleeing France in **1940**. This move protected the company, and after the war, the Wertheimers regained full control of **Parfums Chanel**.
In **1954**, as Coco Chanel relaunched her couture house, she turned to Pierre Wertheimer for financial assistance. In exchange, he acquired **full ownership** of the Chanel brand, including rights to her name, leaving Chanel without any financial or operational control. Despite this, Chanel continued as the creative figurehead of the brand until her death in **1971**.
Today, the Wertheimer family still owns Chanel, with Pierre's grandsons, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, serving as its current owners. This continuity highlights the family's efforts to preserve the legacy of both the brand and their historic business partnership.