Duke of Cambridge hails Jordan as 'beacon of hope' - before watching World Cup game with Crown Prince

The Duke of Cambridge  hailed Jordan as a "beacon of hope" for the Middle East, as he spoke of his wife's fond childhood memories of living there, and addressed the plight of Palestinian refugees.

The Duke is being hosted by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, the 23-year-old Sandhurst-trained second lieutenant in the Jordanian army with whom the Duke hopes to build a firm friendship. 

He began his historic trip to the region by bonding with the Crown Prince as they watched England's World Cup match against Panama.

Crown Prince Hussein recorded the game for the pair to view later as William arrived in Jordan just as the second half began.

The duke, who is president of the FA and a keen Aston Villa fan, spent the remainder of the day avoiding the scoreline and swore the travelling media not to tell him.

Kensington Palace tweeted two pictures of the duke and the crown prince casually dressed and sitting side by side on a sofawatching the game on a large screen at the Beit Al Urdun Palace.

The Duke earlier used his first speech of a landmark tour to reference some of the region's difficulties, ahead of a high-stakes official visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories: a first for the Royal family. 

Saying Jordan should be "enormously proud" of opening its borders to those fleeing Syria, he said the country's "longstanding commitments to Palestinian refugees" was "remarkable".

Speaking at a garden party in honour of the Queen's birthday, he delivered a message from his grandmother who recalled the "special bond of friendship" she shared with the late King Hussein after they ascended to the throne exactly one month apart in 1952. 

The Duke also made reference to his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, who remained at home with their three children, saying her happy childhood memories perfectly reflected Britain's ties to Jordan. 

"My wife Catherine is very sorry she cannot be here with me so soon after the birth of our son Louis, but her family remembers very fondly the almost three years she spent here as a child when her father worked for British Airways in Amman," he said. 

"Catherine's experience is not unique – the interchange between our two countries is real and deep: work, study, tourism and family links.  

"Our historic ties and friendship are played out in the lives of thousands of people who consider both countries home."

Among the guests at the garden party was Rania Malki, chief executive of Save The Children in Jordan, who said the house where the Duchess of Cambridge lived while she was in Jordan is now the home of her children’s paediatrician.

“No way!” the Duke said. “She will be thrilled. She loved it here, she really did. She is very upset that I am coming here without her.”

On Monday, the Duke will visit an archaeological site at Jerash, echoing a photograph of the young Kate Middleton posing there on the rocks with her father Michael and sister Pippa. 

Tackling the most serious issues facing the region in his first speech, hours after landing in Amman, the Duke said: "We in the United Kingdom treasure our links with your Armed Forces enormously. The idea of service to one’s country has always been a value that we share.  

"From the Great Arab Revolt of 1917 to the battle against Da’esh today, our Armed Forces and security organisations have stood, and will continue to stand, side-by-side against shared threats and in defence of shared values.

"I greatly admire the resilience you in Jordan have shown in the face of the many security and humanitarian challenges that have confronted you as a result of conflicts in this region.

"The way in which you opened your doors to hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria, not to mention your longstanding commitments to Palestinian refugees, is remarkable.  

"You should be enormously proud of what you have done. In so many ways, Jordan as an open and stable society is a beacon of hope for many other people in the Middle East."

The tour will see the Duke focus particularly on young people, though, he conceded: "I am now 36 so I am not sure that I can call myself young any longer."

Kensington Palace has strongly emphasised the non-political nature of the trip, underlining its purpose in highlighting the culture of the region, and the hopes of its youth.

The Duke will go on to visit young Syrian refugees in Jordan, as well as spending an afternoon on the West Bank including "events that focus on the issues facing refugee communities; opportunities to celebrate Palestinian culture, music and food; and a chance to meet a number of young Palestinians".

His first day of activities saw him visit FabLab, an initiatives to equip young people with technology skills, and deliver a message of " staunch and long held" friendship from his grandmother the Queen at a party thrown at the British Embassy in her honour.