The Prince of Wales commended the courage of the Australian people as they battled the “catastrophic” bushfires.
In a passionate address he spoke of his admiration for the “determination” and “resilience” of the Australian people as they faced an “apocalyptic vision of hell” sweeping the country.
Speaking at a City of London Corporation and the Australian High Commission fundraising dinner for the Australian bushfires relief effort, Charles spoke of his pride at the way Aussies tackled the crisis risking their own lives to save their neighbour.
Prince Charles said: “I care about what I can only imagine must have seemed like an apocalyptic vision of Hell that the Australian people have been through over these past, desperately trying, few months.
“Amidst the horror and the sorrow, I have, above all, felt the greatest possible sense of admiration for the extraordinary determination and resilience of the Australian people.
“The manner in which firefighters and other emergency services, as well as countless thousands of volunteers, in their own unique, Antipodean way, have risked their lives to defend neighbour and stranger alike, represents, it seems to me, the very essence of the Australian character.”
The Prince added: “At times we saw that enduring spirit of Aussie ‘mateship’ tested by exhaustion, by the greatest pressure and by the gravest danger.
“It is not surprising that the firies’ helmet now stands alongside the diggers’ slouch hat as a powerful symbol of the courage, resilience and generosity for which Australians are renowned.
“At the very worst of times, we saw the very best of Australia – and knowing the Aussies, as I do after fifty-four years, that makes me very proud.”
