FLYING PRINCE COMFORTS FAMILY OF DEAD SOLDIER.

PRINCE William comforted the family of a dead soldier after accompanying his body home from Afghanistan, it was revealed yesterday.

William met relatives of Trooper Robert Pearson, 22, at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire on Monday as he returned from a secret flying visit to Afghanistan.

The future king spent three hours at Kandahar Airfield, the main Nato base in southern Afghanistan, meeting service personnel.

He was said to be "honoured" to be part of the air crew repatriating the trooper's body as he returned from his own first trip to the country where 8,800 British servicemen are serving in the war against the Taliban.

The official purpose of the trip was for him to familiarise himself with RAF operations in a battle situation.

William took the controls of a C-17 Globemaster for part of the flight which left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Sunday, and later flew back via Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Trooper Pearson, 22, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, of the Queen's Royal Lancers, was killed by a mine in Helmand Province on April 21.

He was driving an armoured vehicle protecting a resupply convoy returning from the town of Gereshk when the blast happened.

He left behind his father Paul, stepmother Gillian, and three sisters Terrie, Alex and Alivia. Yesterday the family issued a short statement confirming they had a short private meeting with Prince William at RAF Lyneham and requesting privacy as they come to terms with their loss.

CAPTION(S):

HONOURED Prince William flew to Afghanistan.; KILLED Trooper Robert Pearson, 22.