The Princess of Wales has sent a powerful message following the tragic loss of three service personnel in the Royal Navy.
Kate, 44, took to Kensington Palace’s social media channels on Wednesday to say she was “saddened” after hearing the news, adding that alongside her husband, Prince William, she is holding “their families and friends in our hearts”.
The Princess of Wales is Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) and is understood to be contacting the families of those who have lost their lives in the coming days.
In a personal message signed with her initial, she wrote: “I was so saddened to hear of the tragic loss of three service personnel from the Fleet Air Arm following a helicopter training exercise last night.
© WireImageThe Princess of Wales has shared an urgent message
“William and I hold their families and friends in our hearts at this very difficult time. C.”
A tragic accident
The Royal Navy helicopter crashed into a field just before 4 am in Devon, a spokesman said, later revealing that three members of the Navy had tragically died.
King Charles is also aware of the tragic Royal Navy helicopter crash and the death of three service personnel and will write privately to the families, it is understood.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the deaths were “utterly tragic”, while Defence Secretary John Healey said he was “devastated” by the news.
The Fleet Air Arm describes itself as the ‘eyes in the sky’ of the Royal Navy, organising engineers, air crew, and traffic control. They work with two types of helicopters, the Merlin and the Wildcat, according to their website.
Kate was made Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm in 2023.