Prince William had one last engagement to fulfil on the final day of his Middle Eastern tour on Thursday - and it was a particularly special one, since he took the time to visit the tomb of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice. The mother of Prince Philip, Alice is remembered for saving the lives of a Jewish family in Greece during the Holocaust by sheltering them in her home from the Nazis. On Tuesday, William was thanked for the bravery of his great-grandmother by the descendants of Rachel Cohen, who was harboured, along with some of her children, in the Princess's home.
© Photo: RexWilliam paid his respects at Alice's tomb
The emotional visit followed in the footsteps of both Prince Philip and Prince Charles, who have also made the poignant pilgrimage to her final resting place on previous trips. Alice - who was formally recognised by the State of Israel for her brave actions - died in 1969 and was first laid to rest at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, but it was her wish to be interned at the Russian orthodox church on the Mount of Olives, near her aunt Elizabeth, the Grand Duchess of Russia. Her remains were moved in 1988.
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William has been touring Israel and the Palestinian territories since Sunday - a trip that has seen him meet Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, president Reuven Rivlin and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. During the final speech of his tour, the Duke said on Wednesday that the Palestinians "have not been forgotten".
© Photo: PAThe Prince also visited Jordan, where wife Kate spent lived during her childhood
Speaking at the end of a day where he experienced the extremes of life on the West Bank - from a refugee camp to a proud display of cultural identity - he said he shared the desire of Palestinians and Israelis for a "just and lasting peace".
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On the second day of his trip, William also paid tribute to his wife Catherine, by visiting the spot she used to visit when she herself lived in Jordan. The father-of-three was touring the Roman ruins at Jerash when he came across the same rock that the Duchess of Cambridge played on as a child. William climbed onto the rocks himself to be photographed in the same spot before joking: "Need to come back with the family for this shot." He also spoke about his father-in-law, joking: "Michael's looking very smart in his flip-flops!"
