William returns to ‘special place’ Africa for prize awards
The Prince of Wales has shared his profound personal connection to Africa ahead of his Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, set to take place next week in Cape Town, South Africa.
“Africa has always held a special place in my heart—it was a place of comfort for me as a teenager and where I proposed to my wife,” Prince William reflected before his visit.
Prince William’s mother, Princess Diana, had strong ties to the continent, particularly through her support of a mine-clearing charity, and his own experiences in Africa as a young man have left a lasting emotional impact. It was in Kenya, on a romantic trip in 2010, that he proposed to Catherine, carrying his mother’s engagement ring in his rucksack for weeks leading up to the moment.
William explained that he is bringing his environmental prize back to its “African roots,” noting that a visit to Namibia in 2018 served as the “founding inspiration” for the Earthshot Prize. “It was in Namibia that I recognized how innovative, positive solutions to environmental challenges could drive transformative change for both people and nature,” he said.
Launched in 2021, the Earthshot Prize awards £1 million to each of five winners whose sustainable projects advance eco-friendly practices worldwide. This year’s event spotlights African innovation, with over 400 African-led projects nominated and another 350 with connections to the continent.
Although Africa contributes the least to global emissions, many of its countries are among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts.
The emphasis of the awards is on tangible results, scaling up good ideas to make a bigger impact. For instance, one of last year’s finalists was a project to reduce air pollution from car tyres and that’s now being developed in a partnership with Uber in the UK and US.
“By the end of the week, I want the Earthshot Prize to have provided a platform to all those innovators bringing about change for their communities, encouraged potential investors to speed African solutions to scale and inspired young people across Africa who are engaged in climate issues,” says Prince William.
In keeping with the green theme, guests will arrive on a green carpet rather than red and South African landmarks will be illuminated in green light.
The prince will attend the awards ceremony on 6 November, which will feature a performance of a song from the Lion King on top of Table Mountain, with the event available on BBC iPlayer.
