The Prince of Wales has spoken of the hope Easter brings him in the face of so much darkness in the world.

Quoting the Gospel of John, Prince Charles said the Christmas messages of light shining in the darkness "come into their own at Easter" as he spoke of his desire to see an end to the "pervasive horror" of knife crime. 

In his Easter message, published in The Telegraph, Prince Charles added that events like the attack on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, could leave people feeling as if "darkness reigns".

"Already this year we have seen some terrible deeds of darkness, from young people being knifed on our streets, to the slaughter of men, women and children while they were worshipping God," he said.

"There are times when it can feel as if the light has gone out of the world and darkness reigns.

"But Easter gives us hope. The attempt to extinguish the life and light of our Lord failed. Darkness was defeated by His overcoming death. Through His resurrection, His light continues to shine." 

He said one example of the light overcoming darkness was the actions of people who had "suffered the most terrible personal tragedies" but "turned their grief into action to help others in the most extraordinary way".

He spoke of how he had heard such stories at a recent meeting he and Prince Harry had with people affected by knife crime. 

"Listening to those who have suffered from such attacks filled us both with immense sadness," he said.

"But their determination to move forward and address the causes of such crime and to find solutions was, for me, yet another example of the light shining in the darkness." 

He spoke of his admiration for Gee Walker whose Christian faith helped her to forgive the killers of her 18-year-old son Anthony Walker in a horrific axe attack in 2005. 

The Prince of Wales also paid tribute to the response of Muslims after the "utterly appalling" Christchurch attack, calling it another "remarkable example of forgiveness" 

"Of course, those who commit such brutal deeds need to face up to their crimes through being brought to justice," he said.

"However, very often it is not the punishment that brings them to their senses and changes them, but rather the extraordinary power of the forgiveness from those they have hurt." 

He went on to speak of his concern for people around the world being persecuted for their faith and said that Christians suffering because of their beliefs were especially in his prayers this Easter.

"It is all too easy at this time, I know, to feel overwhelmed by the darkness, and by all that is going on in the world," he said.

"It is truly devastating to know of the numbers of people of all faiths around the world who are suffering simply because of their religion."

He continued: "I have been immensely moved and humbled by the courage and dignity of those I have met.

"This Easter they are specially in my prayers as they follow in the footsteps of our Lord who died for his faith. They have impressed me deeply by their lack of bitterness and by their desire to return to their lands (some of them having managed to do so) to live in harmony with those of other faiths.

"The Easter message, with its emphasis on the timeless and universal values of forgiveness and reconciliation, gives hope to us all whether we live by faith or not. It encourages us to look for and to celebrate those moments in our own lives and in our own communities when we see the light overcoming the darkness.

"I wish you all a very Happy Easter."