Prince William Connects with Pioneering Windrush Survivor Over a Game of Cricket

The Prince of Wales paid a visit to Alford Gardner, who was one of only two surviving passengers from the famous Empire Windrush ship

Prince William is helping celebrate the lives of some special Caribbean immigrants to Britain.

The Prince of Wales, 41, visited one of only two surviving passengers of the famous Windrush ship that brought hundreds of people from the Caribbean to Britain in 1948. It is the 75^th anniversary of the ship docking in London this year.

Alford Gardner, 97, received the surprise visit from William as the prince honored him for his contribution to his community in Leeds, where he inspired and led generations of people through a local cricket club. Gardner set up the pioneering Caribbean Cricket Club just three months after he arrived in the U.K., telling the royal how he wanted a “West Indian club” where he settled.

The former RAF serviceman's meeting with Prince William is captured in a documentary film, airing on Thursday evening on ITV1 and itvx at 9 p.m. local time. When Gardner bowled a ball at the prince, he jokes, “Easy ball, easy ball, Alfred. Be gentle. Oh, he’s got it.”

Prince William asked, "I would imagine when you set up the cricket club, it was a bit of a hub for everyone around the area. You have such a positive spirit, has that always been you?”

Alford replied simply: “Always been me.”

Related: Prince William and King Charles Celebrate Britain's Caribbean Community: 'We Are a Better People Today'

The documentary, in partnership with Pride of Britain awards, tells the story of the Windrush generation 75 years after the ship arrived at Tilbury Docks.

Members of the generation - who will receive a special Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award this year - share their stories with prominent figures including Sir Trevor McDonald, singer Mel B, and Prince William as they provide a compelling insight into the experiences of the community of more than 500,000 who arrived in Britain between 1948 and 1971.

Presenter, and former news anchor Sir Trevor McDonald, tells the show: "When I think of the Windrush generation and what they brought with them from the Caribbean and how hard they worked I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of pride. It is such a great honor for me to celebrate their achievements."

Along with Alford Gardner, the show tells the story of Guy Bailey, whose rejection from a job on the buses in Bristol sparked a change in the law, and Vernesta Cyril, who cared for thousands of women and babies as a midwife in Wales for more than 40 years. Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, 41, met her when they visited Cardiff earlier this month.

Darren Gough, a famous local cricketer, praised Alford, saying, "Growing up and . . . playing cricket in Yorkshire, everyone knew about the Caribbean cricket club. To set up something that’s lasted that test of time is an amazing testament to Alford himself and with the turnout today, his family and representatives from the West Indies team and from the England team past and present. It shows how well he’s regarded in cricket."

Related: Kate Middleton and Prince William Visit Wales to Kick Off U.K. Black History Month

Last year, as Prince William and Princess Kate took part in the unveiling of a memorial honoring the Windrush Generation in London. William used the occasion to recognize how the "past weighs heavily on the present" amid the controversy that followed the couple's Caribbean tour in March 2022, where their presence was met with some protests over colonialism and calls to drop Queen Elizabeth as head of state.

“My family has been proud to celebrate this for decades — whether that be through support from my father on Windrush Day, or more recently during my grandmother's Platinum Jubilee, as people from all communities and backgrounds came together to acknowledge all that has changed over the past seventy years and look to the future," Prince William said at the event.

And he touched on the “hardships” members of the Windrush Generation experienced while settling into the U.K. in the 1950s and 1960s and recognized their vital role in helping rebuild Britain after World War II in an Instagram video on Windrush Day in June.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

"We are a better people today because the children and the grandchildren of those who came in 1948 have stayed and become part of who we are in 2023,” William said. "And for that, we are forever grateful.”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.