This Royal Risked Her Life to Hide a Jewish Family During World War II

Prince William wearing a dark suit and standing on stage in front of dozens of lit candles and a tree holding cnadles next to a photo of Princess Alice on a large screen

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 28 January 2025

Prince William and Princess Kate attended a moving ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on Monday, Jan. 27, and during the event, the Prince of Wales shared the incredible story of how his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, helped one Jewish family avoid certain death during the Holocaust.

William took the microphone during a Holocaust Memorial Day service in London, taking a moment to honor "those who risked their own lives to help and save others," including Prince Philip's mother.

"I was recently reminded of my great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who lived in Athens during the Second World War," Prince William said in a video shared by the Daily Mail on Instagram.

During his speech, he quoted from a book Heroes of the Holocaust, reading, "Conditions were particularly severe in Athens and its port, Piraeus. Alice worked tirelessly for the Red Cross, helping to organize soup kitchens, opening shelters for orphaned children, and setting up a nursing system for poor areas of the city."

However, Princess Alice didn't just volunteer publicly.

Prince William wearing a dark suit and tie standing in front of a tree and lit candles in a dark room on stage — The Prince of Wales gave a speech on Holocaust Memorial Day.

Kate Middleton wearing all black and lighting a candle in front of a crowd of people standing up — The Princess of Wales was a surprise last-minute guest at the event.

The Prince of Wales noted that his great-grandmother "gave refuge to a Jewish widow, Rachel Cohen, and two of her five children to save them from deportation to the death camps," noting how it "was an extremely risky undertaking."

The princess, who lived in her brother-in-law Prince George of Greece's palace at the time, "used her deafness to an advantage" and "pretended not to understand their questions" when questioned by the Gestapo.

"It worked, and they soon gave up," William said, noting that thanks to his great-grandmother, "the entire Cohen family survived the war."

The Prince and Princess of Wales lit candles during the ceremony and also met with Holocaust survivors, including Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, who posed for photos Princess Kate took in 2020. Meanwhile, King Charles marked the day by becoming the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.

TOPICS

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

Stay In The Know