Over their years as working royals, Prince William and Princess Kate have met countless inspirational individuals, and on Wednesday they expressed their sadness following the death of one of them.
It was confirmed on Wednesday that Holocaust survivor Zigi Shipper had passed away at the age of 93, and on his birthday. Zigi was born in Poland and forced to work in a metal factory inside the Lodz Ghetto before being transferred to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944. He was then transferred to the Stutthof concentration camp in 1945 and was on a death march when the camp was liberated by British forces.
WATCH: Prince William and Princess Kate meet Holocuast survivors in 2017
Zigi would go on to speak about the Holocaust at numerous events and met the Prince and Princess of Wales when they visited Stutthof in 2017.
In their personal tweet, the royals penned: "In 2017, we had the honour to meet Holocaust survivor, Zigi Shipper on our visit to Stutthof.
TRENDING NOW: Princess Kate visits Luton nursery for first solo outing of the year - best photos
"We were sad to learn earlier today of his passing. He will be truly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. W&C."
During their 2017 visit to Poland, the pair spent an hour inside the camp, where 65,000 people were killed during the Nazi occupation.
© Photo: Getty ImagesWilliam and Kate met Zigi (back) when they visited the Stutthof concentration camp
They toured the site, met with museum staff and listened to testimonies from survivors, including Zigi and his close friend, Manfred Goldberg, who led them in prayer.
It was the first time that both Zigi and Manfred had returned to the camp since their liberation, with both men having started new lives in the United Kingdom.
TRENDING: King Charles shows support for Prince William following funeral controversy
READ: Meghan Markle's friend Jessica Mulroney sparks reaction following 'Spare' controversy
William and Kate also left an emotional message in the camp's guest book and were shown shoes that had been left behind by victims inside the camp.
Catch the latest episode of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast
Although they had travelled to the country with children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the young royals, who were five and two respectively, did not join their parents for the emotional visit.
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to The Royal Explainer newsletter to receive your weekly dose of royal features and other exclusive content straight to your inbox.
