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The Duke of Cambridge has channeled his late mother at his latest royal engagement, an air display marking the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Prince William, 35, arrived at the RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire by helicopter on Tuesday before meeting with a handful of veterans of the Second World War.
During the visit, the father-of-two was captured sharing a special moment with 99-year-old veteran Ken Wilkinson.
In a move reminiscent of Diana, Princess of Wales, the much-loved royal bent down to speak with the former RAF pilot in a wheelchair. His late mother, the ‘People’s Princess,’ as she was lovingly known, was pictured in a similar stance when visiting a hospice in Toronto in October 1991.
Princess Diana was famously pictured bending down to speak with an elderly woman when visiting a hospice in Toronto in October 1991.
In a move reminiscent of his late mother, Prince William was sure to meet the war veteran’s eye level.
The duo were pictured chatting happily.
Wills also spoke with Maurice Snowball, 95, who served as a Lancaster flight engineer.
“He sat on the chair next to me and I said I hope you don’t mind sitting there as I can only hear with my right ear, so you’re on my right side,” Mr Snowball said. “He said, ‘That’s alright.’ He asked me how I got on flying and I said I enjoyed it, it was a good crew that we were in.”
He added: “I said the best memory I’ve got was the Operation Manna food drops and I told him about that.”
Vernon Morgan, 95, a former Lancaster bomber pilot, also described his meeting with the royal, saying: “William was a very nice chap. He spent time talking to everyone. He said it was an honour to be there and meet everyone. I thanked him for coming. It means a lot.”
The second-in-line to the throne exchanged words with many of those present at the event.
He even shared a joke or two!
Thankfully, the touching moments were captured by waiting photographers.
Another veteran, Rusty Waughman, 94, who was a Lancaster pilot from 1943 to 1944, went on to dub Wills as “easy to talk to” and “so pleasant.”
The second-in-line to the throne, who completed his service with the RAF Search and Rescue Force at RAF Valley, Anglesey, is Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Coninsgby.
Rusty Waughman, 94, who was a Lancaster pilot from 1943 to 1944, described the royal as “easy to talk to” and “so pleasant.”
It certainly is a busy time of year for Wills, who will soon travel to Poland and Germany with his wife, Duchess of Cambridge, and their two young children – Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, two.
Last month, further details on their itinerary were revealed with the palace confirming The Cambridges will travel to Warsaw, Poland, on Monday, July 17. During their trip to Poland, they will also visit the city of Gdansk.
After Poland, the family-of-four will travel to Germany, where the duo will go on a tour of Berlin, Heidelberg, and Hamburg.
WATCH: The family-of-four touch down in Canada. Post continues after the video…
They will finish up their trip and return back to London on Friday, July 21, just in time for little George’s fourth birthday.
George and Charlotte famously charmed their way through Canada last year and in 2014, Prince George stole the show when he joined mum and dad for their tour of Australia and New Zealand.
We just can’t wait to see the royal siblings in action once again!
