Prince William is praised for ‘heartwarming’ appearance on ITV’s Pride of Britain special as he plays cricket with Windrush passenger
- The Prince of Wales took to Leeds, to meet Windush passenger Alford Gardner
- READ MORE: Windrush pioneer Guy Bailey says being rejected for a bus driver job in Bristol because of his skin colour is ‘still hard to live with’ more than 60 years on
Prince William has been praised for his ‘heartwarming’ appearance on ITV’s Pride of Britain: A Windrush Special.
The Prince of Wales, 41, paid a surprise visit to Alford Gardner, a Windrush passenger who formed the first Caribbean cricket club in the UK in 1948, which aired last night.
Alford, 97, arrived in the UK in June 1948 on HMT Windrush before settling in Leeds to start a new life, as part of the government’s plan to rebuild society after the Second World War.
Now, nearly 80 years later, Alford, who is one of two surviving passengers on the ship, played cricket with the heir to the British throne during the ITV special.
Viewers welcomed the father-of-three’s appearance on the show, and many praised the royal for bringing ‘joy’ to the Windrush elders and ‘learning more about their story’.
‘Prince William loves to surprise and bring joy to those who need it. He does so with good humour and kindness,’ one viewer wrote.
Prince William delighted fans as her met with Alford Gardner, a 97-year-old who moved to the UK from Jamaica when he was 22 in 1948, in an ITV documentary last night
Alford set up the Caribbean Cricket Club in 1948 when he moved to Leeds after arriving in the UK on HMT Empire Windrush
Alford was just 22 years old when he boarded the ship in Jamaica, and he shared the remarkable story of how he founded the cricket club to the Prince of Wales in the documentary.
The pair, who previously met on Windrush Day in 2022, travelled to Headingley cricket ground where William took to the crease with the bat as Alford bowled to him.
Bringing his sense of good humour, William asked the pensioner to ‘be gentle’ with his throw.
Speaking about the club in his home, Alford told Prince William there were other cricket clubs in Leeds when he arrived in 1948 but said: ‘I wanted a West Indian team!’
He explained some young players travelled to Leeds from nearby cities to join the club, adding: ‘The main thing was to have fun.’
William’s interaction with Alford delighted fans on social media, with many praising the royal for his ability to ‘put people at ease’.
One said: ‘Heartwarming surprise from Prince William.’
Another wrote: ‘It’s nice to see Prince William deepening his bonds with the Windrush elders and learning more about their story.
‘Through listening we find understanding and with understanding we can build a better future. Alford Gardner is a cricket legend & someone to look up to.
A third added: ‘Alford & Prince William playing cricket, fun was had #PrideofBritain #Windrush.’
Another wrote: ‘Windrush nice one by Prince William definitely gone up in my estimation.’
Viewers took to social media to praise Prince William for his appearance on Pride of Britain: A Windrush Scandal
Elsewhere in the programme, celebrities including Sir Trevor McDonald, Mel B, Alesha Dixon and Judi Love meet other members of the Windrush Generation and their families.
In one incredibly emotional moment, a gentleman who came to the UK when he was just a baby breaks down in tears upon finally receiving a British passport.
Joseph Mowlah-Baksh, 65, told former Spice Girl Mel B: ‘Not having a passport, uh, to me has meant not having an official identity.
‘I’m 65 years old. I’ve lived in Birmingham all my life. My father was in the RAF. He left the West Indies to come here.
‘Here by Windrush that was wicked to find out that he was actually on the ship. My mother was a military policewoman from Ireland’.
He adds not having the document has made it difficult to find steady employment over the years and has had a huge impact on his life.
‘From leaving school I always worked and that was my intention – to work till I retired,’ he explains.
‘But, because of laws changing, I just found it more and more difficult to gain employment. I had really good interviews, shake their hand.
‘[They would ask] “When you come in can you bring a passport or driver’s licence just to verify the details?” And I’d have to get into my story all over again’.
Later on the programme, Joseph holds back tears and calls himself an ’emotional wreck’, before adding that the heartbreaking situation is ‘enough to make anybody just go into a depression’.
Three months later, the crew returns to Joseph’s home where he is finally in possession of a passport.
Cheers erupt among the film crew as Joseph receives his first ever passport and says the drama is ‘finally finished with’ after 40 years of chasing the Home Office.
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