Kensington Palace has announced that the Duke of Cambridge will visit New Zealand next month on behalf of The Queen to honour the victims of the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack.
Prince William will visit the country in late April – full details will be released closer to the time.
The visit will be made following a request by Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
The Duke will meet with those affected by the attack in March and will “pay tribute to the extraordinary compassion and solidarity that the people of New Zealand have displayed in recent weeks.”
At the time of the attack, Prince William, alongside his wife Catherine and the Duke & Duchess of Sussex, released a joint statement of condolence.
In their statement, the couples said:
‘’Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the people who lost their lives in the devastating attack in Christchurch. We have all been fortunate to spend time in Christchurch and have felt the warm, open-hearted and generous spirit that is core to its remarkable people.
No person should ever have to fear attending a sacred place of worship. This senseless attack is an affront to the people of Christchurch and New Zealand, and the broader Muslim community. It is a horrifying assault on a way of life that embodies decency, community, and friendship.
We know that from this devastation and deep mourning, the people of New Zealand will unite to show that such evil can never defeat compassion and tolerance.
We send our thoughts and prayers to everyone in New Zealand today.
Kia Kaha.’’
The words they used to sign their statement, Kia Kaha, are Maori and mean ‘’stay strong’’.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last visited New Zealand in 2014.
Earlier this month, Princess Anne’s husband, Sir Tim Laurence, visited New Zealand.
Sir Tim represented The Queen and signed the Book of Condolence at the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington.
