Duke of Cambridge gazes over sun-bathed Old City of Jerusalem

Prince William enjoyed a breathtaking view of the Old City of Jerusalem this morning from the iconic Mount of Olives.

Dressed in a cool beige linen suit, tie and sunglasses, the second in line to the throne spent 20 minutes standing on a viewing point looking out over the sun-bathed city, marvelling at the view.

Landmarks such as the Western Wall, Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were pointed out with the help of Tareq, a guide from the British Embassy.

Prince William enjoyed a breathtaking view of the Old City of Jerusalem this morning from the iconic Mount of Olives

He said earlier that he would talk the prince through the major Biblical landmarks of the area and of events that have taken place on the Mount of Olives itself, including the last week of Jesus’ life.

The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge east of Jerusalem’s Old City with stunning views of many of its ancient landmarks.

Named after the olive groves that once lined its slopes, it was also the location of many Biblical events. In the Old Testament, King David fled over the Mount of Olives to escape when his son Absalom rebelled.

And after King Solomon turned away from God he built pagan temples there for the gods of his foreign wives.

The second in line to the throne spent 20 minutes standing on a viewing point looking out over the sun-bathed city today

In the New Testament, Jesus often walked over the Mount of Olives from the Temple to Bethany or went there to pray and rest. He also went down over the Mount on his triumphal entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

He foretold his second coming as he addressed his disciples on the Mount and prayed there with them the night before he was arrested. He also ascended to to Heaven from the mountain, according to Acts 1:1 1-12.

The Mount has also been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years and holds approximately 150,000 graves.

Later today, the Duke of Cambridge will pay his respects at the tomb of his great-grandmother Princess Alice as his historic tour of the Middle East comes to an end.

The 36-year-old Duke of Cambridge was dressed in a cool beige linen suit, tie and sunglasses as he looked over the city

William will visit her final resting place at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem, following in the footsteps of Alice’s son the Duke of Edinburgh and grandson the Prince of Wales, who have both visited the site.

Alice, who was married to Prince Andrew of Greece, is remembered for saving the life of a Jewish family in Greece during the Holocaust by sheltering them in her home from the Nazis.

Yesterday, the Duke was thanked for the bravery of his great-grandmother by the descendants of Rachel Cohen, who was harboured, along with some of her children, in the princess’s home.

A nun for many years, Alice died in 1969 and was first laid to rest at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Landmarks such as the Western Wall, Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were pointed out by a guide 

But it was her wish to be interned at the Russian orthodox church on the Mount of Olives, near her aunt Elizabeth, the Grand Duchess of Russia, and her remains were moved in 1988.

William has been touring Jordan, Jerusalem and the Occupied Palestinian Territories since Sunday – a trip that has seen him meet Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, president Reuven Rivlin and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.

During the final speech of his tour, the Duke said yesterday the Palestinians ‘have not been forgotten’.

Speaking at the end of a day where he experienced the extremes of life on the West Bank – from a refugee camp to a proud display of cultural identity – he said he shared the desire of Palestinians and Israelis for a ‘just and lasting peace’.

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