Kate Middleton ‘saddened’ as Kensington Palace points assertion on Royal Navy crash
The Princess of Wales, has shared her “sadness” over hearing about the loss of three Royal Navy service personnel in a helicopter crash as they were from the Fleet Air Arm, which the royal is Commodore-in-Chief
Kate Middleton and Prince William ‘hold their families and friends in our hearts’(Image: AP)
Kate Middleton has issued a statement following the tragic helicopter crash during a training exercise that saw three members of the Royal Navy lose their lives.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the incident happened just before 4am on Wednesday (June 3), with images showing the destroyed aircraft at the scene in Devon. The Princess of Wales, who is the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, said she is “saddened” by the tragic events.
In a statement put out by Kensington Palace on the royals’ social media channels, the Princess said: ”I was so saddened to hear of the tragic loss of three service personnel from the Fleet Air Arm following a helicopter training exercise last night. William and I hold their families and friends in our hearts at this very difficult time.”
Kate and the Prince of Wales are believed to be making contact the families of those who died in the coming days. It is also understood that King Charles has been made aware of incident and will write privately to the families.
Police said emergency services were notified at around 3.45am after reports of a crash at Sourton Down, near Okehampton, Devon.
The head of the Navy, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, said in a statement: “I am deeply saddened to share the news that three crewmembers onboard a Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 helicopter have died after it crashed in the early hours of this morning near Sourton, Devon.
“I know this will come as a huge shock to all in our naval community, and my deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and loved ones impacted by this tragedy.”
The MoD said the families of the service personnel killed in the incident have been informed.
In a statement, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “deeply saddened” by the crash, and later described the incident on social media as “utterly tragic”.
Defence Secretary John Healey said he was “devastated” at the three deaths of personnel who “served with excellence and will be much missed”.
Merlin helicopters, such as the Merlin Mk4 involved in the incident, usually have a crew of four and can carry up to 24 troops.
In 2024, a Merlin Mk4 ditched in the Channel during a training exercise, killing Lieutenant Rhodri Leyshon.
The area lies between the Royal Navy’s air bases at Yeovilton in Somerset and Culdrose in Cornwall.
The scene of the crash is close to Okehampton battle camp, a military facility on the edge of Dartmoor which has been used for training Merlin helicopter crews from the Commando Helicopter Force.
The Merlin helicopter is primarily used for anti-submarine warfare. The aircraft can also be used for search and rescue, cargo transfers and maritime patrol, according to the Royal Navy’s website.
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