Kate Middleton makes surprise visit to War Museum to see letters from relatives who died in WWI

Kate Middleton made a surprise visit to London’s Imperial War Museum ahead of the UK’s Armistice Day, where she was shown letters written by members of her family who died in the First World War.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s great-great-grandfather, Francis Martineau Lupton’s three sons — Francis, Maurice and Lionel — were all killed in action within two years of each other. During their time serving, the brothers wrote letters to their sister Olive, Kate’s great-grandmother who worked as a nurse, and her husband Lieutenant Richard Noel Middleton, Kate’s great-grandfather.

Two of the brothers, Captain Maurice Lupton and Lieutenant Lionel Lupton died when they were just 28 and 24, in 1915 and 1916. 

During the day she also stopped to view the Poppies: Weeping Window artwork by Paul Cummins with Diane Lees, Director-General of IWM. 

Catherine first saw the installation when it was at the Tower of London in 2014 as part of the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation where 888,246 poppies were displayed, representing each life lost at the Front during the First World War.

The royals will attend a service honouring the fallen on Armistice Day.