William (40) has made his first public speech as Prince of Wales. The royal was speaking at the United for Wildlife Global Summit in London on Tuesday (October 4). Animal and nature conservation is a long-standing concern of the prince, which was apparently shaped by his family: William commemorated his late grandparents, Prince Philip (1921-2021) and Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022). “Our nature is one of our greatest assets,” explained William, among other things, according to “People” magazine. “I learned this lesson from an early age, from my father and grandfather, who were both dedicated naturalists by their own accord, and also from my much missed grandmother, who was so committed to nature.”
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96. “In times of loss, it is a comfort to honor those we miss through the work we do,” said Prince William. “The progress we are making in tackling the illegal wildlife trade is a great comfort to me.” How much he cares about this topic is also made clear in an Instagram post. A video of the event in London was shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s account, with the haunting words: “There are still too many criminals who think they can act with impunity. Too many lives are being destroyed. Too many Species are threatened with extinction by this heinous crime.”
William has been the Prince of Wales for almost a month. King Charles III (73) named his eldest son and his wife Kate (40) Prince and Princess of Wales in his first address as monarch shortly after the death of the Queen. These titles were previously held by Charles and his late ex-wife, Princess Diana (1961-1997).
