Prince William began a four-day trip to South Africa by meeting young environmentalists and playing rugby with local schoolchildren in Cape Town. The trip is centred on William’s annual Earthshot Prize, which on Wednesday will be awarded to five winners who will receive 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) each to pursue innovative projects addressing environmental issues.
In his first engagement, the 42-year-old prince met with 120 young environmentalists from Africa and Asia who are taking part in a new programme for youth leaders that accompanies the prize. The Prince of Wales has touched down in Cape Town, South Africa, where he’s set to spend the next four days championing his passion project, the Earthshot Prize.
Prince William receives new title
Kensington Palace shared a video on social media platform X, giving a glimpse of Cape Town’s vibrant energy, with the caption: “Molweni Cape Town, it’s great to be back in South Africa! What a week ahead we have here for the fourth annual @EarthshotPrize Awards and the @united4wildlife Summit. We can’t wait to share it with you.”
Prince William’s visit kicks off with an inspiring engagement with 120 future leaders. These young changemakers, gathered for Earthshot Week, will be honing their skills in leadership, storytelling, and networking—a foundation aimed at empowering the next generation in tackling global environmental challenges.
William’s visit to South Africa will culminate with the highly anticipated Earthshot Prize awards ceremony on Wednesday, where five remarkable winners across distinct categories will each receive a £1 million grant to amplify their groundbreaking solutions aimed at “repairing” the planet.
His week-long agenda is packed with events dedicated to environmental action, reflecting his deep commitment to the Earthshot mission. Princess Kate has remained in the UK to care for their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Ahead of his visit, William shared the personal significance of Africa in his life, saying, “Africa has always held a special place in my heart – as somewhere I found comfort as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife, and most recently as the founding inspiration behind the Earthshot Prize.a Kensington Palace spokesman released a statement ahead of the Prince of Wales South Africa tour, saying “It’s another example of the evolution of William as a global statesman, as we’ve seen, whether it be representing his father in Kuwait last year, or indeed, when he was sat with 15 other world leaders at D Day earlier this year.”
The statement further reads, “It’s really important that the Earthshot Award travels to all four corners of the planet. But having that relationship with the head of state, to thank them for their work, to help us promote the Earthshot Prize, and that urgent optimism, is really important to the Prince.
“The UK-South Africa relationship is really important. Prince William reportedly landed in Cape Town on Monday for a four-day trip to South Africa.
Source: SABC
In other news – Kemi Badenoch promises change after historic Tory leadership win
Kemi Badenoch has promised to win back voters who have deserted the Conservatives after securing a historic victory in the party’s leadership contest.n The 44-year-old becomes the first black woman to lead a major political party in the UK.
She defeated fellow right-winger Robert Jenrick by 12,418 votes after a marathon contest to replace Rishi Sunak, who led the party to the biggest defeat in its history in July’s general election. Read more
