Prince William has paid tribute to Alford Gardner (Image: KP)
has paid tribute to Alford Gardner, a Windrush pioneer and cricket trailblazer who died at the age of 98.
The pair met last year and the heir said in a personal message: “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.”
Last year, Wiliam visited Mr Gardner at his home in Leeds for ITV’s Pride Of Britain: A Windrush Special documentary, before taking him to Headingley cricket ground for a surprise celebration with cricketing stars.
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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 set up the club in Leeds in 1948 – three months after arriving in the UK from Jamaica on the HMT Empire Windrush.
Mr Gardner had also served in the RAF as an engineer and motor mechanic during the Second World War.
Last year, the King hailed new portraits of the Windrush generation, including Mr Gardner, as pictorial records of a “very special” group of people.
Charles told Jamaican-born Mr Gardner at a Buckingham Palace reception that his portrait by artist Chloe Cox was “marvellous”.