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Duchess Kate 'so happy' as she bumps into friend at Buckingham Palace Garden Party

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met hundreds of people on Wednesday, as they stood in for the Queen at this week's Buckingham Palace Garden Party. But there was one attendee in particular that got Kate all excited - Manfred Goldberg.

MORE: Kate Middleton and Prince William brave the rain to attend Buckingham Palace garden party – best photos

The mother-of-three has met Holocaust survivor Manfred, 92, twice in the past, most recently in January 2021 over a video call to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

WATCH: Kate talked to Manfred and his wife Shary for a few minutes

The Duchess first met Manfred during a visit to Stutthof concentration camp near Gdansk during her tour of Poland with Prince William in 2017.

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Spotting him in the crowd, alongside his wife of 61 years, Shary, delighted Kate walked towards them.

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kate-middleton-manfred

Kate speaking with Manfred and his wife Shary

"Manfred," Kate said, "It's so lovely to see you again. How are you?"

The two shook hands, whilst Manfred replied: "It's my pleasure and privilege to see you again."

"When I saw your name on the guest list I thought 'yes!' I am so happy to see you! Are you keeping well?" asked the Duchess, whilst holding an umbrella that kept her dry from the rain.

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kate-middleton-prince-william-garden-party

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in great spirits despite the rain

Afterwards, Manfred, who has four children and 12 grandchildren, said of his reunion with the Duchess: "These are some of the perks granted to us as a consequence!"

His wife Shary, added: "She is so sweet."

Mr Goldberg continued: "It is such an honour to be here. Undreamt of when I arrived here as a 16-year-old. She admires the work I have been doing for many years now. I have come to the firm conclusion that hearing testimony from a survivor is one of the most effective ways of educating people into understanding that silence is all that’s needed for evil to triumph.

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kate-middleton-garden-party

The royal couple were accompanied by the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princess Beatrice

"I have a power point which I use in talks and the most effective image is an enormous pile of shoes. This photograph was taken by a Russian soldier after liberation and I ask people to visualise that each pair of shoes belongs to one person that had gone to the gas chamber. People agree that is one of the most effective ways of trying to understand the magnitude of evil we are talking about."