Prince William says the Princess of Wales is ‘doing very well’ and that she and their children will watch his Earthshot Prize environmental awards tonight.
The Prince of Wales paid tribute to his wife Kate during his trip to Cape Town, saying she had been “amazing” during her tough year of cancer treatment.
‘She’s doing very well, thank you. And… hopefully she’ll be watching tonight. So encourage me. She’s been great all year. I know she really wants this night to be a success,” he said.
William spoke to the BBC and Sky News as he prepared to host his fourth annual Earthshot Awards, designed to showcase and scale the world’s best solutions to the current environmental crisis.
He said he and his family, like many, are having conversations about trying to “do what they can” at home.
Prince William this morning at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town
The Prince and Princess of Wales during a visit to Southport Community Center on October 10
Prince William today with the Earthshot Prize finalists at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
The purpose-built Earthshot Prize Dome can be seen this afternoon from Signal Hill in Cape Town
The prince said: ‘Yes, you know, every family tries to do what they can to help a little with the environment.
‘We go through all the basics of recycling and making sure that we minimize water use and turn off the lights when we leave the house and things like that, and making sure that what we do is sensible in terms of the environment.
“I think every family has these conversations. You just try to do what you can. ‘
‘The Earthshot Prize should be a little more global than that. We are trying to achieve large-scale ambitions and do business at scale to address some of the solutions.
“But I’ve taken the kids on that journey and tonight I hope they watch and are proud of what we’re trying to do here, which is really driving that energy and enthusiasm to make a real impact.”
William speaks to the Earthshot Prize finalists today at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
The Prince of Wales holds a thermovoltaic device as he speaks to an Earthshot finalist today
Prince William walks with Earthshot CEO Hannah Jones in Cape Town today
He also spoke about the friendship bracelet he wore with the word “Dad” on it, made for him by his daughter Princess Charlotte, and which he “promised” not to lose.
“Well, this is…a leftover, if you will, from a Taylor Swift concert that my daughter decided she wanted to make a bracelet for. She gave it to me when I got away. So I promised I would carry it and try not to lose while I was here,” he said.
William was infectious in his enthusiasm when he spoke about Earthshot, which he brought to Africa for the first time this year.
Tonight, five winners from around the world will each receive £1 million in prize money to develop and scale up their solutions to environmental and climate change problems in a glitzy ceremony that will be broadcast live across Africa and later on BBC iPlayer.
Prince William wore a ‘Daddy’ friendship bracelet made by Princess Charlotte yesterday
Taylor Swift poses with the Prince of Wales and his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte ahead of one of her concerts at Wembley Stadium in London in June. The singer encourages fans to trade homemade beaded bracelets with names or words on them
He said: “I am really looking forward to the time when I can bring Earthshot to Africa. I love this continent. And I spent many years exploring it.
“And I’m thrilled to receive the exuberance and energy that will be in this room around Earthshot in South Africa tonight. ‘
Asked how he could ensure his message got through in what can sometimes be a difficult political climate for the environment, he added: “I think everyone wants some hope and some optimism. I think the Earthshot encapsulates urgent optimism. That’s what we’re here for.’
Africa is one of the least polluting continents in the world and yet suffers most from the negative consequences of climate change.
The prince said: ‘And I think you will see tonight how many young people from Africa will be here. They’ll let you know and let everyone know it’s important to them.
“And without them, you know, the future looks pretty bleak. So these are the game changers. These are the innovators. These are the inventors who will make the world a better place for us in the future.’
Tonight’s awards will be held in a reusable, eco-friendly ‘super dome’ with green carpets for hosts Billy Porter and models Heidi Klum and Winnie Harlow, among others.
The winners were chosen from nearly 2,500 nominees in 75 countries.