Prince William pays tribute to Windrush pioneer with personal message
The Prince of Wales shared a touching tribute to Windrush pioneer and cricket trailblazer Alford Gardner, saying he "changed the lives of so many with his courage and positivity".
William visited Mr Gardner, who has died at the age of 98, at his home in Leeds last year for an ITV Windrush documentary, before taking him to Headingley cricket ground for a surprise celebration with cricketing stars.
In a personal social media, accompanied by photographs from their meeting, the Prince said: "I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Alford Gardner, one of the last surviving passengers of the Empire Windrush.
"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."
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Mr Gardner was one of the last surviving passengers of the Empire Windrush and worked to break down racial barriers by setting up Britain's first Caribbean cricket club.
He was 22 when he arrived in the UK on the HMT Empire Windrush from Kingston, Jamaica, joining hundreds of Caribbean migrants called on to rebuild post-war Britain.
Just three months later, Mr Gardner, who also served in the RAF during the Second World War, set up the cricket club in Leeds in 1948.
He said the Windrush scandal, which erupted in 2018 after it emerged that the UK Home Office had kept no records of those granted permission to stay – and had not issued the paperwork they needed to confirm their status, was a "disgrace".
"It shouldn't be happening," Mr Gardner said at the time, adding: "It's disgraceful what’s going on. People don't realise how hard we worked to get this country back on its feet."
Last year, the King attended a service at St George's Chapel in Windsor to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush.
Charles said it is "crucially important" to recognise the "immeasurable" difference the Windrush generation has made to Britain.
