Prince William and Kate Middleton Issue Statement Following the Death of an RAF Pilot in…
In a commemorative message sent over the weekend, the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote, “Our thoughts are with the pilot’s loved ones.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton are honoring a Royal Air Force pilot who passed away over the weekend.
The pilot perished “in a tragic accident near RAF Coningsby” on Saturday, May 25, the RAF reported. The Prince and Princess of Wales then published a statement on X, the old Twitter platform.
According to the BBC and the Associated Press, the incident included a World War II-era Spitfire fighter plane that was a part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF). “I was devastated to learn of the news from RAF Coningsby this afternoon. Princess Kate and Prince William wrote, signing the message “W & C” (William and Catherine), “Our thoughts this evening are with the pilot’s loved ones, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the wider RAF family.”
In an official statement issued on Sunday, May 26, Commander Display Air Wing of RAF Group Captain Robbie Lees confirmed the death of Squadron Leader Mark Long in the incident. In a statement posted on the RAF website, Lees said, “I must confirm the death of Squadron Leader Mark Long with great sorrow.”
Lees stated that a probe “into the cause of this tragic event” was in progress. “The RAF will not be offering any comment on the accident until that investigation has concluded, and likewise, we ask others not to speculate,” the letter continued.
“I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the RAF personnel and our emergency services colleagues who responded so swiftly yesterday,” said the statement. “Our thoughts remain with Mark’s family and friends, to whom we extend our deepest sympathies,” Lees said in closing. We request that during this terrible and upsetting time, their privacy be respected.”
