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, a WWII RAF engineer and Windrush pioneer, was honored by Prince William in a 2023 ITV documentary. The Prince visited him in Leeds and surprised him at Headingley. Today, he paid tribute on social media, mourning Gardner’s passing and honoring his remarkable legacy.
‘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.’
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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.
