Kensington Palace shares Prince William's emotional message: 'I am so sad'

Prince William got emotional as the Prince of Wales reacted to the death of Iain Douglas-Hamilton, saying “I am so sad”

The palace released the Prince of Wales personal message on social media handles.

Prince William says, “I am so sad to hear of the passing of Iain Douglas-Hamilton, a man who dedicated his life to conservation, and whose life’s work leaves lasting impact on our appreciation for, and understanding of, elephants.”

He went on saying, “The memories of spending time in Africa with him will remain with me forever.”

The future king added, “My thoughts go out to Iain’s family, especially his wife Oria and children Saba and Dudu.”

He signed off the statement with his initial ‘W’

Douglas-Hamilton was one of the world’s most prominent elephant researchers, known for a career that spanned several decades across East Africa.

His early studies were among the first to document the scale of poaching and the dangers it posed to elephant populations.

He and his wife Oria founded Save the Elephants in 1993, which became a central organisation in the field of elephant conservation.

Save the Elephants said in a statement that Douglas-Hamilton passed away in Nairobi late Monday, calling him a "pioneering force" in elephant conservation, who "revolutionised our understanding... through his groundbreaking research".

"His work laid the foundation for modern elephant behavioural studies and conservation practices," it said.

The Scottish zoologist was born and educated in the United Kingdom, but spent much of his life in Africa, working in Uganda and Tanzania before settling with his family in Kenya.

"Iain changed the future not just for elephants, but for huge numbers of people across the globe. His courage, determination and rigour inspired everyone he met," said Frank Pope, Save the Elephants CEO.

"He never lost his lifelong curiosity with what was happening inside the minds of one of our planet´s most intriguing creatures," Pope said.