The Prince of Wales spoke of his hope for a "future free from intolerance and conflict" as he paid tribute to New Zealand's troops killed and injured in the Battle of the Somme during a ceremony in France marking the 100th anniversary of the conflict.

Prince Charles told how he had gathered with others to remember with "pride and humility" the sacrifices of New Zealand's soldiers who fought with "boundless courage and tenacity" during the bloody battle.

Prince Charles, who is Field Marshal of the New Zealand Army, spoke during a commemorative service at Caterpillar Valley Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Longueval.

He said: "Standing in this peaceful scene today it is hard to imagine that a century ago this was an infernal, blasted wasteland, which my predecessor as Prince of Wales, my great-uncle Edward, described as 'the nearest approach to hell imaginable'."