ROME (AP) — Prince Harry paid
solemn tributes to fallen Allied troops during World War II and made a
surprise trip to the Colosseum as his two-day visit to Italy ended
Monday.
Wearing full
military dress, Harry shook hands with British Army veterans and laid a
wreath of poppies at the Commonwealth cemetery in Monte Cassino south of
Rome, site of an epic 1944 battle over a hilltop monastery.
The
29-year-old prince left a handwritten note that read: "In memory of
those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Thank you.
Harry."
The battle of Monte
Cassino was one of the bloodiest wartime clashes with an estimated
55,000 Allied troops and 20,000 Germans killed or wounded during four
months of battle that concluded in Allied victory on May 18, 1944,
opening the way to advance on Rome.
It
was the prince's second day at the battle site, as on Sunday he joined
in separate commemorations honoring the thousands of Polish and New
Zealand soldiers who died in the battle. The Allied forces featured an
exceptionally multinational mix, with troops from Canada, French
Morocco, India, Nepal and South Africa taking part alongside soldiers
from Britain and the United States.
Later
Monday, Harry made an unscheduled stop at the Colosseum where, dressed
casually in jeans and a checked shirt, he surprised tourists as he
walked around the amphitheater with a guide. As they recognized the
prince, the visitors waved to him and called out his name.
"I
was in shock. That was really exciting. It was the highlight of our
visit," said Wanda Quenneville, a 45-year-old Canadian tourist from
Toronto, who along with her husband, son and daughter ended up touring
the ruins of the 1st century amphitheater within yards (meters) of the
prince and his private guide.
Her daughter, Alyshia, said seeing Harry was "unbelievable — better than the Colosseum."
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