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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had extended discussions with Europe’s ‘Iron lady’ Angela Merkel in Berlin.
The couple arrived at the German Chancellery were Ms Merkel, who dominates the European stage, was waiting for them wearing turquoise jacket, cream trousers and flat black shoes.
William and Kate were also given an instant German lesson as they visited the Brandenburg Gate in front of a crowd of about 2,000 people.
Flanked by security the beaming royal couple shook hands with Ms Merkel as a European flag fluttered in the background.
Kate Middleton and Prince William visit former Nazi camp in Poland
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Prince William and Kate at the museum of former German Nazi concentration camp Stutthof in Poland.
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The mood appeared sombre as they were given a tour.
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Prince William and Kate are shown piles of shows of those who were killed in the camp.
Kensington Palace
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William and Kate talk to Holocaust survivors.
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The pair were sombre as they listened to survivors’ recollections.
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The royal couple talking with former prisoners.
Getty Images
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Their visit is part of a five-day tour of Germany and Poland.
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Camo Stutthof us near the town of Sztutowo, 30 kilometers east of the city of Gdansk, Poland.
AP
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William and Kate walk through the site of the camp with the director of Stutthof Museum, Piotr Tarnowski.
Kensington Palace
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William and Kate were shown around the museum.
REUTERS
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William and Kate met with Marek, Maria and Czesław, all former Stutthof prisoners who spoke about their experiences at the camp.
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The royal pair visited the camp during a five-day tour of Poland and Germany.
Getty Images
Kate and Wills – who were both wearing blue, which is seen as representative of unity and solidarity in the EU – are said to be turning up their charm offensive during the visit to Germany.
Welcoming Kate, Ms Merkel asked if she spoke German to which smiling Kate replied: “No, no. Sorry.”
The trio then stood for pictures on a red carpet before Kate ushered William to stand between herself and Merkel for a final pose.
They then headed inside the building for a private lunch.
The couple brought Prince George and Princess Charlotte along on the trip, which has widely been viewed as a diplomacy visit to maintain EU relations pre-Brexit.
The pair met with Merkel for an hour in what Palace aids said was an “extended discussion” and “lunch.”
The family are making the trip at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They kicked off the tour in Warsaw on Monday.
The Duchess of Cambridge also had an instant German lesson today as she and Prince William visited Berlin’s iconic landmark, the Brandenburg Gate.
A crowd of around 2,000 gathered in the city centre, just yards from where the Berlin Wall used to stand.
Among them was a woman who spoke fluent English with a slight German accent.
“She said my English was very good,” said Tracey Spagatner, 49. “I said, ‘Yes, well, I am English.’”
Ms Spagatner, a security guard who has lived in Germany for 36 years, added: “She said, ‘My German is a bit rusty. How do you say, ‘What is your name?’ in German?’ I said, ‘Wie heißen Sie’, or ‘Wie heißt du?’”
Ten seconds later the duchess was talking to 15-year-old Sina Hennig from Stuttgart.
Sina said: “She said that she had just learned a new phrase – ‘Ich heiße Catherine.’ It was very good!”
The couple spent nearly 20 minutes at the Gate, where they were greeted by the mayor of Berlin Michael Müller and his daughter Nina.
Among the throng of people was a German television crew whose reporter had dressed up in a guardsman’s uniform, complete with bearskin helmet.
“I am trying to attract her attention,” said Daniel Boschmann of breakfast channel Sat.1. “I wanted to make her feel at home.”
Gesturing at his scarlet tunic, he added: “Is it nearly like the original, or is it an obvious fake?
“It’s all plastic, you know. I’m sweating my arse off, to be honest.”
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