William speaks of Queen's 'deep love' for Tuvalu

The Duke of Cambridge wished the Tuvaluan people "talofa," or hello, when he visited the small South Pacific island today.

With his wife Catherine looking on, William told the guests, "Tuvalu and the peoples of these islands hold a very special place in the Queen's heart".

"Her Majesty well remembers the warmth of the traditional Tuvaluan welcome she and the Duke of Edinburgh received on the occasion of her last visit to her people in 1982," he continued.

Addressing the greeting the Queen and Prince Philip received when they were carried aloft in carriages from the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Duke said, "Indeed the whole world remembers the reception you gave Her Majesty back then it is one of the iconic images of her reign".

He told the crowd, "It is precisely because of the Queen's deep love for this place and the stories we have heard from her about its great natural beauty, its rich culture and the friendliness and character of its people that Catherine and I have been so looking forward to our visit."

"It is the highlight of the Diamond Jubilee tour on her behalf, we are very delighted to be here. Your wonderful welcome has to be the most original and quite literally uplifting ever. We will both remember it and the joy and happiness of what has followed for the rest of our lives," he added.