Prince William releases emotional statement as he reacts to sad news

Prince William has released an emotional statement as the Prince of Wales reacted to a sad news.

The future king took to X, formerly Twitter handle, and personally paid tribute to Windrush pioneer and cricket trailblazer Alford Gardner, who died earlier this week aged 98.

The palace shared William’s statement which reads, “I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Alford Gardner, one of the last surviving passengers of the Empire Windrush.”

He continued, “I was delighted to spend some time with him last summer and hear his story. As a leading figure in the Caribbean community in West Yorkshire, he changed the lives of so many with his courage and positivity.”

“He leaves behind a legacy for us all to be proud of and will be remembered for his warmth, his courage, and of course his unwavering love of cricket! W,” Prince William concluded.

Earlier, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also paid tribute to Gardner, saying he "did so much for the black cricketing community in this country".

Jamaica-born Alford came to the UK in 1948 on the famous HMT Empire Windrush.

He made his home in Leeds, where he founded Britain's first ever Caribbean cricket club.