Prince of Wales pays tribute to the Queen his ‘much-missed grandmother’ in first speech in new role
The Prince of Wales says he's learned the importance of protecting the natural world from his father the King and also the late Queen - he said she was "much-missed". ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship reports
The Prince of Wales has spoken of his 'much-missed Grandmother' in his first speech since the King gave him his new title.
Prince William was at the Science Museum in London to address the United for Wildlife (UfW) global summit.
In his keynote speech, William warned that illegal wildlife crime is destroying too many lives and pushing too many species towards extinction.
He paid tribute to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who he credited with teaching him the importance of the environment:
“Our natural world is one of our greatest assets. It is a lesson I learnt from a young age, from my father and my grandfather, both committed naturalists in their own right, and also from my much-missed grandmother, who cared so much for the natural world."
He went on to say how campaigning about these issues could help with grief:
“In times of loss, it is a comfort to honour those we miss through the work we do.
“I take great comfort, then, from the progress we are making to end the illegal wildlife trade.”
The summit, hosted by Lord Hague – chairman of The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales – brought together more than 300 global leaders from law enforcement agencies, conservation organisations and private sector companies who are part of the UfW network.
It saw speakers announce new policies and unveil partnerships in a bid to end the trade, which is worth up to 20 billion dollars (£17 billion) per year and is associated with violent crime, corruption and other forms of trafficking.
The Prince of Wales also paid tribute to Ranger and conservationist Anton Mzimba who was reportedly shot and killed outside his home in South Africa.
Prince William described the death as a “shocking moment” and referred to rangers being “on the front line”.He said: “Eight years ago, we set out to develop a solution to one of the largest, yet often overlooked, international crimes blighting our world.
“A crime that robs us all of our most precious natural resources and funds organised crime, the harms of which are often directly felt by the most vulnerable communities.
“And a crime that this year felt especially brutal.
“The devastating news about Ranger Anton Mzimba is shocking confirmation of how vicious the illegal wildlife trade is.
“Anton dedicated himself to the protection of wildlife, undertaking his role diligently and professionally despite threats to his life.
“He stood up to violent criminals and paid the ultimate price. It is only right that we pay tribute to him and all the other selfless rangers and frontline conservationists here today."
William’s speech will likely be seen as him setting out his continued commitment to campaigning on the issue of wildlife crime in his new role as Prince of Wales.His father King Charles regularly spoke up about the environment when he was in the Prince of Wales role but will now have to step back.
This week it was confirmed that he will not attend COP27 in November, the UN climate conference, after it was deemed inappropriate that he should attend.