Kate Middleton Reads Emotional Letters About Family Members Who Died In World War I

Kate Middleton recently had the opportunity to learn more about her family’s connection to the First World War. In honor of the 100-year anniversary of Armistice Day on November 11, the royal paid a visit to the Imperial War Museum London. It was there that she was presented with various letters and other historical mementos relating to several of her own family members who courageously fought and lost their lives during World War I.

Middleton also got the chance to take a tour of the museum and view the First World War Galleries, which include historical artifacts from the war in which her family members played a part. She was able to learn more about the role the war played in her own family history and meet historians and museum curators that provided her with more information about what life was like during this time. She even got to meet a fellow descendant of a First World War soldier.

Three brothers in relation to Middleton’s great-grandmother paid the ultimate price while contributing to the war efforts. She was able to view documents that detailed the roles they played in the war, as well as a somber letter of condolence from the Keeper of the Privy Purse at Buckingham Palace.

Francis Martineau Lupton, The Duchess’s great-great-grandfather, had five children.

The two youngest brothers, Captain Maurice Lupton and Lieutenant Lionel M Lupton went to France within 3 days of each other in 1915. pic.twitter.com/RHvlvUZFdf

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) October 31, 2018

Middleton’s own great-grandmother worked as a nurse in World War I, caring for wounded soldiers in a field hospital. Her great-great-grandfather had three sons named Francis, Maurice, and Lionel Lupton, all of whom were killed in action. Prior to their deaths, they sent letters to Middleton’s great-grandmother discussing their time in the trenches. Although information regarding their deaths is limited, it is known that all three brothers were killed in action within three years of one another. Captain Maurice Lupton and Lieutenant Lionel Lupton were killed in 1915 and 1916 respectively. Major Francis Lupton, the oldest brother, served in the 8th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment where he was ultimately killed by a bomb in 1917. He was just 31-years-old at the time of his death.

The experience was invaluable to the Duchess of Cambridge who felt honored to learn more about her family ancestry. Her visit allowed her to relate with her relatives, despite the many years that have gone by.

“This campaign means a lot to me personally. My great-grandmother and grandmother were both volunteer nurses,” she said in a speech. “They would have learned first-hand from working with the Voluntary Aid Detachment and the Red Cross about the care and compassion that sometimes only nurses can provide.”