Prince William meets Windrush survivor as Kate Middleton takes a break from duties
The Prince of Wales visited the survivor without his wife by his side
October 19, 2023
Prince William met with a Windrush survivor on Thursday. The Prince of Wales paid a visit to Alford Gardner, who was one of the only two surviving passengers from the famous Empire Windrush ship.
Sharing pictures with Alford, the Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote, "Pride Of Britain: A Windrush Special on @itv this evening reminds us of a defining moment in our nation’s history. We had the honour of meeting the lovely Alford, hearing his stories and triumphs."
The former RAF serviceman's meeting with Prince William is captured in a documentary film, airing on Thursday evening on ITV1 and itvx at 9 p.m. local time. When Gardner bowled a ball at the prince, he jokes, “Easy ball, easy ball, Alfred. Be gentle. Oh, he’s got it.”
The future king visited Alford without his wife, Kate Middleton, who is reportedly on a break to spend time with their children.
British troopship HMT Empire Windrush laid anchor at Tilbury Docks in 1948, with her passengers disembarking the following day.
The Empire Windrush carried hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean who, alongside people from other parts of the Commonwealth, came to the UK to fill post-war labour shortages.
The ‘Windrush generation’ became the symbolic shorthand for people who came to work or join family in the UK between 1948 and 1973, particularly from Caribbean countries.
