The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are visiting Leicester today to pay tribute to the victims of the devastating helicopter crash that killed five people including the owner of the city's football club.
Prince William and wife Kate said they wanted to recognise the 'warmth and compassion' the people of Leicester have shown since the accident almost a month ago to the day.
Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, was killed when the aircraft plunged to the ground shortly after taking off from the pitch at the King Power stadium.
Pilots Eric Swaffer and partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz also died alongside Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's employees Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare.
William, counted Mr Srivaddhanaprabha,as a personal friend and knew him through his role as President of the Football Association as well as a fellow polo player.
The Royals were taken to the area containing the huge amount of floral tributes left to the victims near the stadium, where they stood in solemn silence to pay their respects. Kate then laid down a bouquet herself as the couple's own contribution.
The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William visited Leicester today to pay tribute to the victims of the helicopter crash that killed five people almost a month ago today. Kate laid a bouquet of flowers with a message of support for the city from the Royal couple
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are visiting the King Power Stadium today to pay tribute to the victims of a helicopter crash that killed five people including Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. The Royals are pictured with the late owner's son Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha
William, pictured, and Kate were also given a tour of the King Power Stadium shortly after their visit to the shrine
The Duke and Duchess were also greeted with a receiving line of Leicester's players, including Jamie Vardy, pictured shaking Kate's hand, and manager Claude Puel
Mrs Srivaddhanaprabha was visibly emotional at the tribute site today and wiped tears from her eyes shortly before the Royals arrived, pictured
Kate laid her own bouquet of flowers in tribute to the victims, left, as the couple bowed their heads to pay respect, right
Vice chairman Aiyawatt, left, waited to greet the royals with his mother Aimon, centre, and sister Voramas, right
Kate and William also spoke to the army of volunteer who helped set up the tribute site and they lightened the mood while chatting with the public, right, with the Duke appearing to draw a laugh from his wife
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, centre, was one of the players on hand to greet the Srivaddhanaprabha family, pictured, before the royals arrived
Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, centre, was also there to meet the Royals, after he witnessed the crash and had to be 'held back' from running towards the flames to help
Aiyawatt, left, and his mother both stood in a prayer position as they showed respect for the late chairman
An aerial view of the crashed helicopter's charred remains shows the damage caused to the vehicle in the accident
Leicetser City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, pictured after the club's 2016 Premier League triumph, was praised for his 'contribution to football' by Prince William
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: 'Their Royal Highnesses knew the and wanted to visit the city to recognise the warmth and compassion that the people of Leicester and fans of Leicester City Football Club have shown in reaction to the accident.'
William and Kate began their day by visiting the tribute site near the stadium to pay their respects to those killed in the accident.
Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's son Aiyawatt, vice chairman of the club, greeted the royals with his mother Aimon and sister Aroonroong.
William clasped Top's hands warmly and spoke to him at length, as did Kate, elegant in a Catherine Walker coat.
They then met a receiving line of Leicester players including England striker Jamie Vardy and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who witnessed the crash and had to be 'held back' from running towards the flames to try to help.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stood in solemn silence as they paid their respects in front of the huge amount of floral tributes left to the Leicester helicopter crash victims
William, President of the FA, and Kate were also pictured chatting to some of the Leicester squad today
The Royals, left, were led along a blue carpet to the tribute area by Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, 33, right, followed by his mother and sister
Club volunteers and supporters had decked out fencing around the tribute site with flags and scarfs as they talked to the Royal couple, with Kate breaking out into laughter
Manager Claude Puel, centre, and defender Harry Maguire, right, were also among the club staff at the memorial
Jamie Vardy revealed he enjoyed a close relationship with the owner and his family after the fatal crash and was pictured today embracing Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's widow
Kate was keen to speak to the people of the city, pictured, who helped create the huge tribute to the crash victims
The couple then walked along a blue carpet, with Kate laying a bouquet of flowers, adding the carpet of floral tributes.
Afterwards they met with a group of players and members of the Club's management team.
These included Claude Puel, Wes Morgan, Kasper Schmeichel, Andy King, Harry Maguire, Ben Chilwell and Jamie Vardy.
The couple also spent several minutes meeting volunteers and club supporters who helped to relocate the thousands of tributes which were left outside the front of the stadium to the site.
The Duchess laid an arrangement of white flowers wrapped in blue, reflecting the club's colours, with a wreath card reading: 'To Vichai and all those who died in this terrible tragedy, you will be sorely missed.
'Our sincere condolences to the city of Leicester.'
It was signed 'William' and 'Catherine'.
William and Kate, pictured in front of the tributes near the King Power Stadium, said they wanted to acknowledge the 'warmth and compassion' of the people of Leicester with their visit
The Duke and Duchess were also shadowed by police officials in Leicester today, pictured, with the investigation continuing into how the crash occurred
Leicester's manager Claude Puel, second right, and the club's players clasped hands with the Srivaddhanaprabha family when they arrived at the tribute site
William knew Mr Srivaddhanaprabha through his role as the FA President and as a keen fellow polo player, and he was seen talking warmly with his son Aiyawatt, aka 'Top', pictured
The Duchess, pictured at the tribute site in Leicester alongside William and Aiyawatt, laid an arrangement of white flowers wrapped in blue, reflecting the club's colours
William, pictured at the shrine with Kate, previously praised the late chairman for his 'big contribution to football' after he guided Leicester City to win the Premier League in 2016
William and Kate, wearing a coat by Catherine Walker, took a moment to view the sea of floral tributes, scarves and flags left by mourners.
William looked solemn as he chatted to each player and shared a warm moment with Aiyawatt, putting a hand on his shoulder and telling the players: 'You're in very good hands.'
The Prince previously highlighted his 'big contribution to football' after helping Leicester win the Premier League in 2016 just two years after the club was promoted from the Championship.
William, a keen football fan, said he was lucky to have known the billionaire duty-free entrepreneur for several years.
He said at the time: 'He made such a big contribution to football, not least through Leicester City's magical 2016 season that captured the imagination of the world.'
Kate, left, spent a few minutes talking to Leicester's manager Claude Puel, right, as William spoke to club captain Wes Morgan
The Srivaddhanaprabha family looked mournful in Leicester today with just a month passing since the tragedy
Aiyawatt shook hands with the Prince and bowed to him, pictured, when the couple arrived in Leicester shortly before 1pm today
Leicester City and England defender Harry Maguire welcomed Aimon with a kiss on the cheek this afternoon. Many of the players enjoy a close relationship with the Srivaddhanaprabha family
Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, left, held his mother's hand as they walked towards the tribute site during what was a very emotional occasion today
The late chairman's son, left, and daughter Aroonroong, right, were both moved to tears at the tribute site in Leicester
The couple's visit to the shrine, pictured, near the stadium will be followed with a visit to the University of Leicester as well as meetings with charities supported by Mr Srivaddhanaprabha and his family
Later, the couple will visit the University of Leicester to hear about some of the educational programmes Leicester City has helped to support.
This includes a £1million donation made by Mr Srivaddhanaprabha to the university in May 2018, which will be used to help fund medical research and training through the creation of a Professorship in Child Health.
Their Royal Highnesses will then have the opportunity to speak with students, before meeting some of the University's Centenary scholars.
The Centenary scholar programme has been created as the University prepares to celebrate 100 years since a fund was established by Dr Astley Clarke for its foundation.
It was created as a living memorial to those who fought and made sacrifices in the First World War.
Investigators are still trying to determine why the aircraft plunged 430ft to the ground just moments after taking off from the pitch on October 27.
Footage of the aircraft taking off from the King Power Stadium pitch appeared to show parts of the rear rotor flying off as it hovered above the stands.
But the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) says it still has not identified the cause of the crash, although it appears the helicopter turned sharply right when the pilot was using the left pedal and 'did not respond to his command'.
Leicester City's staff and players were visibly emotional during their first game after the crash against Cardiff, pictured
Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's helicopter was flown by Eric Swaffer, 53 (pictured left with the Dalai Lama) who has posted pictures of the craft on social media. His partner, also on board the ill-fated aircraft was flight instructor and partner Izabela Lechowicz, 46 (pictured right)
Kaveporn Punpare was an assistant to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and sadly perished in the doomed flight, alongside his colleagues and the chairman
Nusara Suknamai, a former Miss Thailand competitor, was one of the members of staff who tragically perished on board
The doomed Leicester City helicopter pilot may have been become stuck in a 'dead man's curve' after the aircraft's tail rotor failed, experts have suggested
The AAIB's preliminary report also says that its 'investigation of the tail rotor system is being carried out as a priority'.
Instead of crashing into the stands and hospitality areas it came down on empty land 200 yards from the stadium before erupting in a fireball.
It avoided busy roads and the last of the 31,000 fans still in the area along with dozens of police officers.
Experts suspect the tail rotor failed, sending the £6million AugustaWestland AW169 into a 'dead man's curve' that even the best pilot would not have been able to handle.
Popular Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha started with a duty free shop in 1989 and will always be the owner that guided club to title
By Nathan Salt for MailOnline
A helicopter belonging to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was engulfed in flames after taking off from the King Power Stadium following his side's 1-1 draw with West Ham.
Srivaddhanaprabha usually departs the King Power inside his private helicopter after home games alongside other members of the club's hierarchy.
Here, Sportsmail profiles Srivaddhanaprabha's success in and out of football, including how he helped Leicester win the Premier League title in 2016.
He is fifth on the Thailand richlist of billionaires and is said to be worth close to £4billion
Srivaddhanaprabha was born in Bangkok on April 4, 1958 to a Thai Chinese family.
The Thai billionaire Srivaddhanaprabha kick-started his business journey by opening a duty free shop back in Bangkok in 1989 at the age of 31.
His retail company, King Power, is now a staple of the country's airports and the brand also have the naming rights to Leicester City's stadium.
Having been the club's primary shirt sponsor for the three previous seasons, he wanted to step up his involvement and opted to go all in and become owner.
Buying the club for a reported £39million in 2010 proved a shrewd investment as he oversaw a meteoric rise which saw the Foxes historically win the Premier League title in 2015-16.
When he took over, the club had just earned promotion from League One, the third tier in the English football pyramid, and with Nigel Pearson trusted to remain in charge, the Foxes were quickly back in the Premier League.
According to Forbes, the Midlands club is now valued at £371m after becoming a staple of the top half in the league under Srivaddhanaprabha's reign.
Ranked as fifth on Forbes' Thailand rich list, Srivaddhanaprabha has built his empire up to a staggering $4.9billion (£3.8bn).
Sportsmail profiles the career of Leicester City's Thai owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
After enjoying rich success with Leicester - which saw them defy all the odds in reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League, Srivaddhanaprabha bought Belgian club OH Leuven in May 2017.
The club reside in the Brlgian second division but could act as a real beneficiary for young players at Leicester in the future.
Srivaddhanaprabha is a keen football supporter and has continued to put money into the Foxes with his son Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha involved as club vice-chairman.
He is married to Aimon Srivaddhanaprabha, and has four children Voramas, Apichet, Arunroong, and Aiyawatt.
He is popular among players and is regularly in attendance for matches at the King Power
Linkhienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/28/prince-william-and-kate-mourn-leicester-helicopter-crash-victims/
Main photo article The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are visiting Leicester today to pay tribute to the victims of the devastating helicopter crash that killed five people including the owner of the city’s football club.
Prince William and wife Kate said they wanted to recognise the ‘warmth and...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/28/14/6749164-6437203-image-a-119_1543415465855.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий