Prince William shares a rare personal message about new tragedy following a tough few days

Prince William has sadly shared the news that his close friend, Mark Jenkins, and his son, Peter Jenkins, both tragically died in a plane accident. Mark Jenkins, a ranger, was killed when his light aircraft crashed as he tried to drive cows, camels, and goats out of Tsavo National Park. His son, Peter, was a warden. William made a rare personal comment on his Twitter account, paying respect to “a man we all loved and admired.”

• Prince William shared a rare moment with followers on his social media as he opened up on the heartache of losing a close friend
• William wrote, "Tonight, I’m thinking about Mark’s wife, family and colleagues who’ve sadly lost a man we all loved and admired. W"
• In other royal news, Princess Charlotte's adorable new skill learned while Kate Middleton and Prince William were away

Prince William is mourning the loss of a close friend and his son after a tragic plane accident.

The Prince of Wales shared a rare personal message on his social media account after pilot Mark Jenkins and his son, Peter, were killed in a plane crash in Kenya.

William wrote on his Twitter account, “Yesterday, I lost a friend, who dedicated his life to protecting wildlife in some of East Africa’s most renowned national parks. Mark Jenkins, and his son Peter, were tragically killed when flying over Tsavo National Park while conducting an aerial patrol.”

"Tonight, I’m thinking about Mark’s wife, family and colleagues who’ve sadly lost a man we all loved and admired. W"

The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) paid tribute to William’s close friend, describing him as a "lifelong conservationist and experienced bush pilot.”

“Passionate, principled, and strong-willed, Mark was never afraid to speak his mind and stand for what he believed in,” the statement said.

William and Mark shared a great love for both conservation and Kenya. Kenya was the place where William proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010.

William was also patron of the Tusk Trust, a wildlife conservation charity, and founded United for Wildlife, which aims to protect endangered species from the illegal wildlife trade.

Mark Jenkins was further described as “a commanding presence and made an indelible impression wherever he went.”

“Those of us who worked alongside him remember him for his determination, thoughtfulness, his energy, his mischievous smile, and his deep love of wildlife and wild places. We will miss his warmth, his hilarious stories, and his sometimes rather irreverent comments which always made us smile.”

This isn’t the first message Prince William has sent out in recent days, perhaps suggesting that the long-established “never explain, never complain” attitude of the Royal Family is thawing.

The Prince of Wales became the first member of the Royal Family to publicly speak out on the racism claims against the royals following Harry and Meghan’s bombshell Netflix series.

When asked by journalists whether he had spoken to brother Harry since the first three episodes of Harry and Meghan dropped on Netflix this Thursday, William replied, “No I haven't spoken to him yet but I will do.”

The reporter further asked, “And can you just let me know is the royal family a racist family, Sir?” To which he stressed, “We are very much not a racist family.”