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Prince William’s touching tribute on Anzac Day hits close to home

The royal has travelled to New Zealand to pay his respects.
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Prince William has paid his respects to the Anzacs in a touching moment that has hit close to home for many.

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The royal paid his respects during a poignant service held in Auckland, New Zealand on Thursday morning while thousands of attendees looked on.

Standing beside Kiwi Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Wills laid a wreath and joined in singing as the sun beamed down on those in attendance.

But that wasn’t the only moving moment the Prince encountered on April 25th.

Prince William attended a poignant Anzac Day service in Auckland, New Zealand. (Image: Getty)

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The palace announced William’s short two-day tour in New Zealand earlier in the month in response to the tragic Christchurch massacre in March.

And after arriving in New Zealand in time for the Anzac Day service, William will today travel on to Christchurch, where he will meet with survivors in of the shocking terror attack, which left 50 people dead.

The dad-of-three will also meet with leaders of the city’s Muslim community before returning back to England.

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Wills shared a hongi, a traditional Maori greeting, with Kiwi PM Jacinda Ardern at the moving service. (Image: Getty)

The Prince and Ardern paid their respects to the fallen Anzac soldiers during the service. (Image: Getty)

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.

Given the Prince’s moving ties with the city, it seems very fitting for him to visit again following yet another harrowing event.

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Prince William has visited New Zealand several times over the years. (Image: Getty)

Duchess Catherine meanwhile, has stayed back in London for the duration of William’s trip. It is understood she will instead attend an Anzac commemoration service there.

It’s certainly been a busy week for the Cambridges, who celebrated Prince Louis’ first birthday on Tuesday.

The royal couple delighted fans the world over when they released three new photos of the Prince, taken at their country home in Norfolk.

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WATCH: The Cambridges release three amazing new photos of Prince Louis for his birthday. Story continues after video…

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The birthday came following another big outing on Easter Sunday, where the royal family attended a service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor together.

The day was a special one for the House of Windsor – it coincided with the Queen’s actual birth date – marking her 93rd lap around the sun!

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The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry was also in attendance – however, his heavily-pregnant wife the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, who is due to give birth any day now was noticeably absent.

We’re predicting that by the time William has arrived back home from his two day tour, there could very well be a brand-new niece or nephew for him to greet!

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