Prince uplifted as heroes rebuild lives

William, 27, a serving RAF helicopter pilot, met men rebuilding their lives with the help of staff from Headley Court in Surrey after being horrifically injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He paid tribute to the wounded men's sense of humour and "hope for the future" in a speech to mark the opening of the new 11.3m complex which received 8m towards its cost from the forces' charity Help For Heroes.

William and his brother, Prince Harry, 25, have made public and private visits to Headley Court – home to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre – which treats the most seriously injured battle servicemen and women.

Speaking about the time he first stepped through the doors of the unit with his brother, William told the guests, who included injured servicemen being treated at the centre: "We expected to find a place of suffering with, perhaps, a pervading atmosphere of desolation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here reigns courage, humour,

compassion and, above all, hope for the future.

"How can this be, you may well ask. Well, part of it – it seems to me – is down to the extraordinary spirit and indomitable nature of the British soldier, sailor and airman.

"However, it is also about individual courage, the refusal to give up – even in those darkest moments that each and every one of you must have gone through.

"But if courage is the foundation stone of recovery, the unconditional love and support of friends and family, and the unstinting dedication and selfless care of the staff here, and at Selly Oak (the military's acute medical treatment centre), are the tools by which this stone is levered into place."

Headley Court is a sprawling complex set in the beautiful grounds of a building dating back to Elizabethan times.

Since hostilities began in Afghanistan nine years ago, 376 military personnel have been injured or seriously injured.