Prince William has personally paid tribute to Windrush pioneer and cricket trailblazer Alford Gardner, who died yesterday aged 98.
In a social media post on Kensington Palace’s account, signed off with William’s initial, the prince hailed how Gardner “changed the lives of so many with his courage and positivity”.
William had visited the man at his home in Leeds last year for an ITV documentary about Windrush – before taking him to Headingley cricket ground for a surprise celebration with stars of the sport.
Gardner had been one of the last surviving passengers from the Empire Windrush, and had become a beloved North Yorkshire figure after setting up Britain’s first Caribbean cricket club.
The Prince of Wales hailed Gardner for “changing the lives of so many with his courage and positivity”
KENSINGTON PALACE
He founded the club in Leeds in 1948 – three months after arriving in the UK from Jamaica on the HMT Empire Windrush – seen in hindsight as a unifying move for the city.
The prince’s personal message read: “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.
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“He leaves behind a legacy for us all to be proud of,” William said
KENSINGTON PALACE
“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.”
Gardner was just 22 when he boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, with his brother Gladstone before they – and hundreds of other Caribbean migrants who answered the call to help rebuild post-war Britain – disembarked the ship at Tilbury Docks in Essex.
William met him twice in his later life.
The first time had come during the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at London Waterloo Station in 2022 alongside Princess Kate.
While the second fell as part of ITV’s Pride Of Britain: A Windrush Special to mark the 75th anniversary of the Windrush’s arrival.
William first met Gardner during the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at London Waterloo Station
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On Wednesday, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also paid tribute to Gardner, saying he “did so much for the black cricketing community in this country”.
Actress and campaigner Baroness Floella Benjamin said Gardner “encapsulated joy, dignity and courage”.
He had made headlines for his condemnation of the Windrush scandal, which erupted in 2018 after it emerged that the Home Office had failed to keep records of those granted permission to stay, and had not issued the paperwork they needed to confirm their status.
Gardner said the scandal, which came to light under Theresa May’s time in No10, was a “disgrace”.
And last year, the King hailed new portraits of the Windrush generation, including Gardner, as pictorial records of a “very special” group of people.