Just days after waking from a coma, five-year-old Alen Alsati was greeted by a prince at her hospital bedside.
The little girl was one of the youngest victims of the Christchurch terror attacks six weeks ago, after an Australian gunman opened fire at two mosques killing 50 people and injuring another 50.
Alen has been in a critical condition with brain damage in the Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland, but earlier this week she awoke for the first time since the shootings.
During a brief visit to Auckland on Thursday, the Duke of Cambridge went to the hospital to visit her and her father Wasseim, who was also recovering from the attack.
Both father and daughter suffered critical injuries after being shot multiple times.
Kensington Palace released a touching video and photo from the hospital room on social media.
In the video the pair has a conversation about Princess Charlotte.
"Do you have a daughter?" she asked.
"Do I have a daughter? Yes, she's called Charlotte," Prince William responded.
"What's her name?" Alen asked.
"Charlotte. She's about the same age as you," he said.
In the photo, some of the little girl's other family members and NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern can be seen smiling in the background.
Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand.
After Anzac Day commemorations and his visit to Auckland Hospital, His Royal Highness flew to Christchurch with Ms Ardern.
Last night he met with the first responders to the terror attacks and thanked them for doing "an incredible job on a very bad day".
Prince William also sat down with Muslim community leaders in Christchurch to thank them for bringing the community together following the attacks.
Prince visits Al Noor Mosque
Today, Prince William praised New Zealanders for their empathy, compassion, warmth and love during a visit to one of the mosques targeted in the attacks.
Speaking in the room where the gunman struck at Al Noor mosque, the Duke of Cambridge said he could not believe it when he found out a terror attack had been carried out New Zealand, a country he had been visiting since before he could walk.
"On the 15th of March, tragedy unfolded in this room, a terrorist attempted to sow division and hatred in a place that stands for togetherness and selflessness," he said.
"He thought he could redefine what this place was, I'm here to help you show the world that he failed."
Fifty people died in the attacks at Al Noor mosque and Linwood Avenue mosque a few kilometres away.
Many of the survivors are still recovering from their injuries in hospital.
William, who is second in line to the throne, spoke at Al Noor mosque for almost 10 minutes before shaking hands with and hugging survivors.
He said the way New Zealanders had conducted themselves in the hours, days and weeks following the tragedy had touched the world.
"An act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead the grief of a nation revealed just how deep your wells of empathy, compassion, warmth and love truly run," Prince William said.
"On the map New Zealand might look like an isolated land, but in the weeks that followed the 15th of March the moral compass of the world was centred here in Christchurch you showed the way we must respond to hate with love."
