Prince Charles expressed his "deepest sympathy and solidarity" to the French as he visited Paris on Monday afternoon. The Prince of Wales is the first senior royal to visit the French capital since the Paris terror attacks on 13 November, and referred to the atrocities as he accepted the Francois Rabelais Prize at the French Institute.
"I can only begin by saying how heavy my heart is at the dreadful anguish suffered by those who lost their loved ones in the unspeakable atrocities of two weeks ago and how my deepest sympathy and solidarity are with the French people," Charles said.
Prince Charles voiced his sympathy to the victims of the Paris terror attacks
The 67-year-old added: "Against a background of such inhuman violence and terror, it is almost impossible to talk sensibly about matters of everyday civilisation. Yet that is what I propose to do, because in the face of such awfulness it may help to be reminded of the simple and timeless human values that lie at the heart of our society."
Charles made the comments as he accepted the Francois Rabelais prize for his organic farming and global protection work. As well as being honoured with the prize, Charles also opened the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris on Monday morning.
Speaking passionately, the Prince urged delegates including David Cameron, Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande to take immediate action to tackle climate change on behalf, "not only of those alive today, but also of generations yet unborn."
Charles earlier opened the United Nations Climate Summit
The Prince of Wales is not the only member of the royal family to voice his support to France in light of the recent terror attacks; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge signed a book of condolences at the French Embassy, with William later leading a minute's silence during a football match between England and France at Wembley Stadium.
Meanwhile Prime Minister David Cameron joined President Hollande to pay his respects to the victims of the attacks during a recent visit to Paris, where they visited the Bataclan Concert Hall before holding meetings to discuss the fight against terror.