Prince William letter honours fallen US Capitol officer

Prince William has sent a personal letter of support and sympathy to the partner of the US policeman who died after the attack on the Capitol.

The letter from the Duke of Cambridge praised police officer Brian Sicknick, for ensuring "democracy was upheld" as rioters attacked the building in Washington DC.

The duke sent his condolences to the officer's partner, Sandra Garza.

Kensington Palace said it could not comment on private correspondence.

The Capitol building was stormed on 6 January 2021 in the aftermath of Joe Biden's presidential victory.

Ms Garza, speaking on CNN where she shared contents of the letter, had said she was very honoured to have received the letter from Prince William - adding that, in contrast, "I couldn't get a letter from President Trump".

She accused the former president of not taking time to contact her, while Prince William had "reached out to honour Brian's memory".

Officer Sicknick, aged 42, who had been defending the building from rioters, died from two strokes the day after the Capitol attack.

The letter offering sympathy appeared to have been written last November, after Prince William had seen documentary footage of what he called the "harrowing events" of the attack.

"By all accounts Brian performed valiantly whilst on duty and, despite suffering injuries, continued to do his utmost to protect those inside," wrote the prince.

Prince William said it was thanks to such officers that "the situation did not escalate further and democracy was upheld".

He said he wanted Ms Garza to know that "you and Brian's family are very much in our thoughts".

A US congressional committee has been investigating the Capitol riot in Washington DC and examining claims of attempts to undermine the election result in November 2020, which saw the defeat of the then-president Donald Trump.