Prince William today paid tribute to one of only two surviving passengers of the Empire Windrush and cricket trailblazer Alford Gardner following his passing aged 98.
The Prince of Wales celebrated the legacy of Mr Gardner who worked to break down racial barriers by setting up Britain’s first Caribbean cricket club in Leeds in 1948 – three months after arriving in the UK from Jamaica on the HMT Empire Windrush.
Mr Gardner had also worked in the RAF as an engineer and motor mechanic during the Second World War.
William visited Mr Gardner at his home in Leeds for ITV’s Pride Of Britain: A Windrush Special documentary last October, before taking him to Headingley cricket ground to a surprise celebration with cricketing stars.
Today, the Prince posted on Kensington Palace’s social media: ‘I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Alford Gardner, one of the last surviving passengers of the Empire Windrush.
‘I was pleased 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.’
Mr Gardner was among the first to come from the Windrush generation – people who travelled to the UK between 1948 and 1971 from Caribbean countries, replying Britain’s call to help fill post-war labour shortages.
He was 22 years old when he boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, with his brother Gladstone before they and hundreds of Caribbean migrants disembarked the ship at Tilbury Docks in Essex on June 22, 1948.
During the ITV documentary, which noted the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation last year, Mr Gardner was attended at Headingley by friends, family and famous cricketing names, including Darren Gough.
