The Prince and Princess of Wales wrote a moving tribute to a pizza seller they met after he died of cancer just weeks after Catherine was diagnosed with the disease.
Little Dragon Pizza owner and father-of-two Peter Morris died in May, aged 47, with William sending a letter of condolence to his grieving widow, Tracey.
The heartfelt tribute written on Kensington Palace headed paper was read out at his funeral.
In it, William, 42, expressed how ‘terribly sorry Catherine and I were to hear the very sad news about your husband, Pete’ with the heir to the throne adding: ‘We can only begin to imagine what an immense hole he will leave in your life and my heart goes out to you and your family.’
William and Princess Kate met Mr Morris in April 2023 when they spent £127.50 on 12 pizzas for the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team during a visit to Dowlais Rugby Club in Merthyr Tydfil.
The Prince and Princess of Wales wrote a moving tribute to pizza seller Peter Morris (pictured in the background) they met after he died of cancer just weeks after Catherine was diagnosed with the disease
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Little Dragon Pizza owner and father-of-two Mr Morris died in May, aged 47, with William sending a letter of condolence to his widow, Tracey
Tracey, 40, told The Sun the family had received ‘so many letters’ after his death but ‘the one from William and Kate was very special’.
The letter published by the newspaper read: ‘Catherine and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Pete and serving pizzas to everyone from the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team.
‘We know that Pete was a hugely dedicated and highly valued member of the community which has been evident from the response to his passing.’
William went on to say that although the letter can be of little comfort he wanted Tracey to know ‘just how much you and your family are in our thoughts at such a difficult time’.
Tracey told the newspaper the letter ‘came as a massive surprise. I don’t even know how they found out Pete had died.’
She added: ‘It may have hit a chord with them because Kate is going through treatment.’
Kate and William collect pizza from the Little Dragon pizza van in the car park during a visit to Dowlais Rugby Club in Merthyr Tydfil
The Prince and Princess of Wales gather pizza boxes from a pizza van at Dowlais Rugby Club
The Prince and Princess of Wales are carry 12 pizza boxes into a rugby club in Wales
Prince William handing out take-away pizzas to members of the mountain rescue team
Mr Morris, from Ebbw Vale, South Wales, was given the devastating news by doctors four months after the royal couple’s visit that cancer had been found in his adrenal gland and liver.
He had previously beaten oesophageal cancer.
Mr Morris described William and Kate as ‘really nice’ when they visited his pizza van as he told Wales Online: ‘Everyone reassured me they were a really down to earth couple, and they were right. They were really nice.
‘When I was setting up the business it would have been beyond my wildest dreams that one day I would serve the future king.’
He started Little Dragon Pizza in 2016 and would go on to serve pizzas out of his converted Volkswagen van on the Welsh moors.
Little Dragon Pizza announced his death on May 25 in a moving post on its Instagram page alongside a black and white photo of Mr Morris.
‘We were fortunate to call him as our boss and friend,’ it read.
‘His contagious passion will be remembered. We are committed to continuing the hard work he invested his time in and do him proud.’