Prince William and Kate Middleton expressed ‘incredible sadness’ in a rare joint statement on social media

Kate Middleton and Prince William issue rare joint statement over ‘incredible sadness’

Prince William and Kate Middleton issued a rare joint statement on social media following a Spitfire crash near an RAF base. In a sombre X, formerly Twitter post, the Prince and Princess of Wales expressed their “incredible sadness” over the accident that left the aircraft pilot dead.

Kate Middleton, Prince William issue rare joint statement

The aircraft crashed in a field during a Battle of Britain event on Saturday in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Following the fatal accident, the royal couple shared an emotional statement via their official handle @KensingtonRoyal that read, “Incredibly sad to hear of the news this afternoon from RAF Coningsby. Our thoughts this evening are with the pilot’s loved ones, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the wider RAF family. W & C.”

Authorities and first responders arrived at the scene before 1:20 pm. A resident told GB News, “It was definitely a spitfire. But it sounded sluggish when it took off at about 1.20 pm. It had just took off and we could hear it cough and splutter. It was about 100m in the air.” “I saw it turn to the left and flip over. We couldn’t see it over the trees. There was about five to eight fire engines and the Helimed too,” they added.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said, “It is with great sadness that we must confirm the death of an RAF pilot in a tragic accident near RAF Coningsby today,” adding, “The pilot’s family have been informed and we ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.”