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News

Prince Harry arrives in New York

28th May 2009

Prince Harry began his first overseas engagements in New York today with a visit to Ground Zero, the site of the former World Trade Centre where thousands of people were killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11th in 2001.

Prince Harry arrived in New York ahead of a charity polo match to help raise funds for his Lesotho charity Sentebale.

But ahead of the star-studded event tomorrow, The Prince spent his first day in the city remembering the victims of the 2001 terrorist atrocity and meeting those injured in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 24-year-old Prince arrived at the site of the World Trade Centre in mid-morning sunshine and was greeted by well-wishers.

Entering Ground Zero, Prince Harry seemed taken aback at seeing in the enormity of the structures felled in the attack, and said simply: "Wow".

After meeting New York State Governor David Paterson, Prince Harry laid a wreath at Ground Zero.

Made up of yellow roses and peonies, it carried a personal message signed by The Prince.

It read: "In respectful memory of those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001, and in admiration of the courage shown by the people of this great city on that day."

After carefully placing the wreath on the wire fence, Prince Harry bowed his head and observed a minute's silence. At the site he spoke to families of those killed in the attack.

Monica Iken, a 39-year-old New Yorker who lost her husband Michael in the atrocity, said it was fantastic Prince Harry had made the effort to attend the site.

She said: "It is great he wanted to come here and show that people still care, and it shows respect to our loved one that died on that day."

As he left the World Trade Centre he was presented with a hard hat with the word "Harry" emblazoned on its front.

He was also handed a badge with the American flag shaped into the Twin Towers.

The Prince then walked a short distance to greet firemen of Ladder Company 10.

Shaking hands with members of the service he stopped as he met a firefighter with red hair, exclaiming to laughter: "A fellow ginger."

Continuing on the theme of remembrance, Prince Harry took part in the official naming ceremony of the British Memorial Garden in Hanover Square.

The small cultivated area in Manhattan commemorates the British victims of the September 11th attack.

In a short speech, Prince Harry said it was "a great privilege" to be at the naming ceremony.

He added: "My family are so proud to be so closely associated with (the garden) and its purpose in honouring the memory of the 67 British people that died here on September 11th 2001."

He then planted an Elizabeth magnolia tree at the site.

"Shall I take my jacket off?", The Prince joked as he picked up a shovel.

After four or five attempts to shovel in the earth he turned to his hosts and said: "It is a bit untidy, I'm sorry about that."

In a hectic first-day schedule, The Prince was also taken to the Veterans Affairs Medical Centre to see the latest work in the field of prosthetics and meet some of the injured soldiers benefiting from the advances.

Here he was joined by Joe Townsend, a 21-year-old Royal Marine who lost his legs after stepping on a landmine in Helmand province, Southern Afghanistan, in February last year.

At the centre he was given a practical demonstration of a prosthetic hand by Paul Yarbrough, a 41-year-old former soldier who lost both his hands in an electrical accident while training.

After shaking hands with Mr Yarbrough - and feigning having his hand crushed in the process – Prince Harry watched on as the former army man drilled in a screw, picked up sweets and wrote The Prince a personal message with his prosthetic hand.

"The handwriting is better than mine," joked Prince Harry.

The trip to New York marks Prince Harry’s first formal overseas engagements.

Tomorrow he will visit Harlem's Children's Zone before heading off for the polo match.