'Young were just as moved as the old' Prince William praises Tower of London poppies

PRINCE William praised the Tower of London poppy installation last night as he attended a charity gala.

Prince William and the poppy installation at the Tower of LondonPA

Prince William praised the poppy installation at the Tower of London

Speaking as a patron of charity, SkillForce, the Duke of Cambridge said all generations were 'moved' by the 'Blood swept Lands and Seas of Red' poppy art installation.

He said: "I was privileged to be able to visit the poppy installation at the Tower of London in its early days.  Even then, before it was as famous as it is now, the people observing the poppies came from every generation.  

"The young there were just as moved as the old. Their grief and thanksgiving for the sacrifice of previous generations was just as real."

William was attending the 10th anniversary gala dinner at the Imperial War Museum for the charity.

He added: "I noticed the same phenomenon in Australia earlier this year when Catherine and I attended their annual ANZAC Day parade. 

"The young were there in force, in fact outnumbering the generations above them."

As part of the evening, the Duke also received a painting depicting the battle at Nimy Bridge where Lt Maurice Dease won the first posthumous VC of the First World War.

William visited his grave when he and his wife, Kate paid their respects at war memorials back in August.  

He also presented the SkillForce Junior Prince’s Award  saying: "So it was with great pride that, earlier this evening, I met children pursuing the SkillForce Junior Prince's Award.  This programme helps children prepare for the challenges of secondary school through character-building, fun projects and activities. Part of the Award centres on Remembrance.

"The children's enthusiasm for learning about this subject in a way that is relevant to them shone through.  It was clear that they, like those children who gather at the Tower of London or at Remembrance Day parades, are grasping something that will instil hopefulness and commitment about a better future in themselves and in their generation.  

"This is no small achievement.  Only by pointing to all that Remembrance means can we have any chance of making our society a better place and giving these young people hope, which is the fuel for all the work they will need to do to fulfil their potential."

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