‘Hollow words’: Prince William hails Aussie flood survivors

Prince William has again shown why plenty of Australians won’t be clamouring for a Republic any time soon.

Prince William has praised the work of first responders during the recent devastating floods in NSW and assured those who suffered as a result of the natural disaster that they haven’t been forgotten.

The Prince sat in on a video call with first responders and residents of the affected areas, including the small town of Woodburn, which sits on the banks of the Richmond River about 100km south of Byron Bay.

Prince William said it was “hollow words” coming from the UK, but lauded the “brilliant job” residents had performed in saving their communities.

“It’s hollow words, sitting here in the United Kingdom but, you know, thank you and well done for everything that you did,” His Royal Highness said on the call.

Prince William has praised the work of first responders during the recent devastating floods. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

“It’s just incredible the amount of water you guys must have put up with.

“You guys sound like you’ve done an amazing job with very little time, under extreme difficulties and a very hard situation.

“Well done in looking after your team, getting everyone to do a sterling job on getting as many people out as possible.

“All of you are doing a fantastic job in your communities, just by keeping going.”

State Emergency Services’ commander Ashley Slapp, who oversaw more than 100 operations, said told William, his team was “phenomenally good”.

“They worked while their own houses were going underwater,” he said.

“I asked them to stop on day four or five and said to them they needed a rest day, and their answer was ‘I can’t stop, I’ll think about what I’ve lost’.

“So they kept going for the full eight days themselves.”

Lismore suffered devastating flooding twice in a month. Picture: Brendan Beirne

Schoolteacher Jeanette Wilkins told the Prince: “We’ve lost our school and everything in it”.

“For us, the most important thing was to make contact with our families and our children, and as fast as possible to set up a school somewhere just to get the children back to some form of normality and start dealing with their trauma.

“We did that within three weeks of the flood and since then it’s just about working with the children and the trauma they’ve been through.

“We’re two months down the track and nothing has changed, those 34 families are still displaced so there’s no certainty for those children.”

Prince Williams urged those affected to keep looking after themselves. Picture: SES

After listening to their stories, Prince William said it was vital those affected continued to be mindful of the impact of the extreme weather event on themselves, their families and their communities.

“You’ve all painted a picture of the scale of these floods, truly horrendous and really quite startling.

“All of you are doing a fantastic job in your communities.

“Whether it’s your business, your school, your community or in the emergency services, you’re all doing a brilliant job of being those figureheads and those leaders which your community sadly needs right now.

SES workers help clean up after the disaster. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

“But on top of that make sure you look after yourselves and take one day at a time”.

“Be that strength that I know all of you are being, whether its your business, school, community or the emergency services.”

MEGHAN, HARRY TOLD TO ‘STAY AWAY’ FROM QUEEN’S JUBILEE

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been ordered to “stay away” from the Queen’s Jubilee to avoid overshadowing Her Majesty’s milestone celebrations.

Royal commentators have told The Sun the Palace does not want the ongoing “bitter” Royal Family row to distract people from the Queen’s celebration of 70 years on the throne.

Daily Mail Diary Editor and broadcaster Richard Eden told the talk show, Palace Confidential: “I really get the impression that Harry and Meghan are loving all the speculation about whether they’ll come for the Jubilee or not.

“What should be the wonderful celebrations of the Queen’s amazing long reign, instead it’s sort of becoming this saga or will-they-won’t-they-come?”

Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

And Mail journalist Richard Kat added that it’s “tragic” that the Queen has to deal with the rows with her own grandchildren.

He said: “I think it’s tragic for her. The last thing she wants is these ongoing, bitter rows with her own grandchildren and the family.

“They had so much trouble in the 1990s which they had hoped they had put behind them, but this is somehow even worse and it must be enormously difficult for her and quite despairing.”

It comes as sources speculate Prince Harry could snub another major upcoming royal milestone.

Prince Harry will not attend his father’s coronation if Camilla is made Queen at Westminster Abbey, it is claimed.

Her Majesty has said it is her “sincere wish” the Duchess of Cornwall be known as Queen Consort when her husband Charles takes the throne.

However, Harry will snub the service if it takes place at the Abbey as Camilla would be crowned just feet from where his late mother’s coffin lay in 1997, Private Eye reports.

Prince Charles (R), Prince Harry (C) and Prince William follow the hearse of Diana Princess of Wales. Picture: AFP Photo

Princess Diana’s casket was driven from Buckingham Palace to the royal church, where it stayed for the funeral on September 6.

It was then taken to the Spencer family home at Althorp, Northamptonshire, to rest on an island on an ornamental lake where it remains today.

But the image of his mum’s coffin in Westminster Abbey was likely etched into 12-year-old Harry’s mind, and has remained there ever since.

– With The Sun.

Originally published as ‘Hollow words’: Prince William hails Aussie flood survivors