JERUSALEM — The historic visit of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, to the Middle East took a spiritual turn Thursday as the royal visitor toured the holy sites of the world’s three main monotheistic religions, after laying flowers on the grave of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who is buried in Jerusalem.
It was a sharp contrast to the previous days when he cavorted on the sandy Tel Aviv beach with young volleyball players and strolled the city’s tree-lined boulevards drinking fizzy soda with Israel’s purple-haired Eurovision Song Contest winner, Netta Barzilai.
As part of a five-day trip to the region that also included a two-day stop in Jordan, the prince, who is second in line to the British throne, also met with political leaders — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas — at a time when peace seems more elusive than ever for Israelis and Palestinians.
In one of his rare addresses on the trip, William called for both sides to find a place for peace.
“This region has a complicated and tragic history — in the past century, the people of the Middle East have suffered great sadness and loss. Never has hope and reconciliation been more needed. I know I share a desire with all of you, and with your neighbors, for a just and lasting peace,” the prince said at a reception at the British Consulate in Jerusalem on Wednesday night.
Though it was touted as a purely ceremonial trip and a chance for the young prince to meet with and hear ordinary people in the region, the political situation here is hard to avoid. There was some turmoil in Israel that the Jerusalem portion of his itinerary was billed as being part of a visit to the “occupied Palestinian territories.” Much of the world does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the eastern parts of the city, which Palestinians hope will become the capital of a future state.
Despite the initial upset, however, Israelis and Palestinians welcomed the royal visitor warmly, highlighting the historical nature of the trip and delighting in the legitimacy that his visit brought, the first official trip by a member of the British royal family in 70 years.
Members of the royal family often make official state visits at the request of the British government but, until now, have avoided Israel and the Palestinian territories. The snub has largely been attributed to the failure of Israelis and Palestinians to reach a comprehensive peace agreement and the perception that the region is a diplomatic minefield.
