I’m excited to share that Prince William is heading to South Africa this week to celebrate and award the annual Earthshot Prize, a global environmental award that provides £1 million (almost $1.3 million) in grants to innovative projects tackling climate change.
Prince William himself signed a recent Instagram Stories statement revealing that the continent holds deep personal significance for him, describing it as a “special place” where he “found comfort as a teenager” and even proposed to his wife, Kate Middleton.
“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,” Prince William wrote.
As a royal enthusiast, I couldn’t help but pause at Prince William’s heartfelt reference to his childhood. Could this be a nod to his late mother, Princess Diana, who also had a strong connection to Africa through her humanitarian work?
After all, Diana bravely visited the continent often, raising awareness about issues like AIDS and the government’s use of landmines—a cause that eventually led to real-life change. Her tragic death in 1997, when Prince William was just 15 years old, undoubtedly left a lasting impact.
And as William grew older, Africa seemed to only grow more special to him. It was the place where he proposed to his beloved Kate, as well as the location that inspired the creation of the Earthshot Prize—his ambitious initiative to find and scale innovative solutions to the world’s environmental problems.
“It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realized the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature,” Prince William shared.
During his four-day visit to Cape Town, William will not only attend the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, but he’ll also have the opportunity to meet with young environmentalists, local fishermen, and rangers on the frontlines of conservation efforts. He’ll even take time to visit an underprivileged high school and join the students in a rugby practice—a nod to one of his personal passions.
Of course, William’s trip to Africa comes at a time when the finances of both him and his father, King Charles III, have come under scrutiny. A recent investigation found that their private estates have been making millions of pounds by renting properties to government entities. Both the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall have defended their practices, stating that they operate with a “commercial imperative” while also prioritizing environmental restoration and positive social impact.
As William turns his attention to the pressing issue of climate change, it’s clear that the continent holds a special place in his heart. With the Earthshot Prize at the center of his visit, the prince has the chance to carry on his beloved mother’s important work and pave the way for a more sustainable future.
Whether it’s a subtle nod to Princess Diana or simply a reflection of William’s own deep personal connection to Africa, his statement serves as a heartfelt reminder of the power of place and the transformative potential of environmental activism.
As the prince embarks on this important journey, I’ll be eagerly watching to see how he uses his platform to inspire the next generation of eco-champions—and perhaps even honor the memory of his mother in the process.