March 15 will forever be remembered as a horrific day for Christchurch, the beautiful New Zealand city that became the centre of tragedy following consecutive terrorist attacks on two mosques that killed 50 Muslims.
But from the depths of such darkness came extraordinary hope, as people of all faiths around the world joined together to show their support for New Zealand’s Muslim community.
And now Prince William, representing the Commonwealth, has travelled halfway around the world to offer his support to the victims of the attack.
After attending ANZAC Day services with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday, today he spent time with members of Christchurch’s Muslim community and visited victims in hospital.
He also gave a rousing, emotional speech at the Al Noor mosque, one of the sites targeted in the terrorist attack, calling for an end to senseless violence.
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Prince William waves to fans in Christchurch. (Image: Getty)
During his 10-minute speech inside the room where dozens of people lost their lives, William delivered a heartwarming message of hope.
“Tragedy unfolded in this room,” William began.
“A terrorist attempted to draw division and hatred in a place that stands for togetherness and selflessness. He thought he could redefine what this place was, I’m here to help you show the world that he failed.
“Extremism in all its forms, must be defeated. The message from Christchurch … could not be more clear. The global ideology of hate will fail to divide us.”
The Prince described the gunman’s actions as an act of “unspeakable hate” in a “country of peace”, before paying tribute to the Commonwealth country he has visited many times, including “before he could walk”.
Referencing the extraordinary outpouring of public support New Zealand’s Muslim community received following the attacks, William praised Kiwis for failing to turn the violence into a debate about race or religion.
“A country that seemed to be backing trends of global division and anger looked like maybe it would fall victim to those intent on creating fear and distrust,” he said.
“I have no doubt this is what the terrorist had hoped for. But New Zealanders had other plans.
“In a moment of acute pain, you stood up and you stood together and in reaction to tragedy, you achieved something remarkable.”
Prince William greeting a young Muslim boy in Christchurch. (Image: Getty)
Entering the Al Noor mosque accompanied by a Muslim community leader. (Image: Getty)
Referencing the tragic death of his own mother, Princess Diana, in 1997, William revealed that sometimes grief can actually have some silver linings.
“I have had reason myself to reflect on grief and pain and loss in my own life and in my role I often see up close the sorrow of others in moments of tragedy,” William said.
“What I’ve realised is that of course, grief can change your outlook. You don’t ever forget the shock, the sadness or 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 starling 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.”
The Prince chatted to emergency service personnel who (Image: Getty)
Earlier, Prince William met with survivors of the shocking terrorist attacks, some of whom are still recovering from their injuries in hospital.
In a beautiful moment caught on camera, Prince William was seen speaking to a young girl named Alen who had only just woken from a coma after being injured in the attacks.
Asking him if he had a daughter, Prince William told the young five-year-old, “Do I have a daughter? Yes, she’s called Charlotte,” before adding, “She’s about the same age as you.”
The video was shared by Kensington Palace on Instagram, along with a beautiful picture of William speaking to the young girl while Kiwi Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern looked on wearing a hijab.
The beautiful moment (which you can watch in the video below) is sure to be remembered by the royal, and his fan base for a while to come.
This isn’t the first time the Prince has visited the city of Christchurch following a devastating event.
He last visited the garden city in 2011 shortly following the Christchurch earthquake, which killed 185 people and left much of the central city in a state of ruin.
