Prince William’s touching reference to Princess Diana
Prince William touched down in New Zealand to honour the victims and survivors of the horrific Christchurch terror attack that saw the death of 50 people.
The solo trip by the royal saw a touching and heartfelt reference to his own personal tragedy, the death of his mother Princess Diana in 1997.
While discussing loss in a touching speech at the Al Noor Mosque where 42 people were killed, the royal said: “A terrorist attempted to sow division and hatred in a place that stands for togetherness and selflessness.
“He thought he could redefine what this space was. I am here to help you show the world that he failed.”
Further, the Duke of Cambridge addressed his own grief after losing his mother as well as the pain felt by those affected by the Christchurch tragedy.
“I have had reasons myself to reflect on grief and sudden pain and loss in my own life. And in my role, I have often seen up close the sorrow of others in moments of tragedy, as I have today,” he said.
“What I have realised is that of course grief can change your outlook. You don’t ever forget the shock, the sadness and the pain.
“But I do not believe that grief changes who you are. Grief – if you let it – will reveal who you are.
“It can reveal depths that you did not know you had. The startling weight of grief can burst any bubble of complacency in how you live your life and help you to live up to the values you expose. That's exactly what happened here in Christchurch.
“An act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead the grief of a nation revealed just how deep your wells of empathy, compassion, warmth and love truly run.”
Earlier that day, Prince William met with survivors of the Christchurch terrorist attack – some of whom who were still in hospital.
This is not the first time the royal has visited Christchurch, New Zealand.
He last visited the humble city in 2011 following the Christchurch earthquake which killed 185 people.