King Charles's touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II as he reads from her diary

King Charles recalled his mother's visit to Kenya in 1952, where she found out she would become Queen after the sudden death of her father, King George VI.

The monarch said in his speech: "It is well known, I think, that my dear Mother, The late Queen, had a particular affection for Kenya and the Kenyan people.

WATCH NOW: King Charles's speech at State House in Kenya

"She arrived here in 1952 a princess, but left as Queen.

"It is extremely moving to read her diary from that visit, in which she wrote that she did not want to miss a moment of Kenya’s extraordinary landscapes.

"I really cannot thank you enough for the support Kenya gave her through that difficult time."

The King also expressed "sorrow" for Britain's colonial past in Kenya, but stopped short of an official apology.

He added: "We must also acknowledge the most painful times of our long and complex relationship.

"The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret.

"There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged, as you said at the United Nations, a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty – and for that, there can be no excuse.

"In coming back to Kenya, it matters greatly to me that I should deepen my own understanding of these wrongs, and that I meet some of those whose lives and communities were so grievously affected.

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"None of this can change the past.

"But by addressing our history with honesty and openness we can, perhaps, demonstrate the strength of our friendship today.

"And, in so doing, we can, I hope, continue to build an ever-closer bond for the years ahead."