Prince William’s ‘kind and thoughtful’ message to New Zealanders affected by floods as he urges ‘we must all… protect our planet’

The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, responded to the devastating floods affecting parts of New Zealand with a determined and hopeful statement on his social media accounts. William wrote that he knows the people “will come together, as you have done before, to support those in need” and that “Catherine and I are thinking about all those affected.”

• Prince William has rushed to offer his thoughts to the people of New Zealand affected by the devastating floods
• William, who has long been an advocate for tackling climate change, has praised the spirit of people coming together for those in need, but urged for a “herculean effort” to “protect our planet”
• In other royal news, Prince Harry makes surprise trip to Africa before Europe tour with Meghan Markle

Prince William has sent a message of support to the people of New Zealand impacted by the recent floods.

Hundreds of people have been forced to evacuate their homes as a storm battered the country this week.

On Friday evening, William took to his and Catherine’s Twitter account where he wrote, "Seeing the devastation caused by the floods in New Zealand is a reminder of the herculean effort we must all make to protect our planet.”

"I know you will come together, as you have done before, to support those in need. Catherine and I are thinking about all those affected."

This is the latest move by William to establish himself as an advocate in tackling climate change.

It was recently announced that Prince William was to follow Harry and Meghan back to US where he will collaborate with the next recipients of the Earthshot Prize.

The Earthshot Prize is William’s global prize for the environment, designed to incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years.

The prize's name is a reference to the "moonshot" ambition of 1960s America, which saw then-President John F Kennedy pledge to get a man on the moon within a decade.

William’s message to the people of New Zealand was met with praise by fans online, who especially liked the message of unity.

One fan wrote, “A kind and thoughtful message” while another thanked William for bringing attention to the issue.