The Prince of Wales is using his short tour of Cape Town to shine a light on young people and the next generation.
The theme appears to be woven into a vast majority of his public engagements this week, suggesting their issues are something he is deeply passionate about solving.
On Monday, he was (quite literally) being tackled on a rugby pitch by children supported out of poverty by the Atlas Foundation charity, but he himself has been doing the tackling on something, he believes, requires “urgent” action.
As future King, he needs the support of young people for the monarchy to survive, but Prince William also wants to create a better world for the generation his own children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis belong to.
How Prince George’s sweet gesture drives Prince William forward
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In 2022, I exclusively revealed The Prince of Wales’ elder son, Prince George, cares deeply for African wildlife.
The young Prince had organised a bake sale to raise money for conservation charity, Tusk, of which The Prince of Wales is royal patron.
The royal line of environmentalists continues through to Prince George, via his father, grandfather and great grandfather.
Public surveys have suggested threats to the natural world and climate change are among the biggest issues worrying young people.
Prince William is currently visiting South Africa
Reuters
Yesterday, The Prince of Wales told a group of teenage climate innovators from across Africa and Asia: “All of you in this room are future change-makers, you’re the leaders, you’re the people going to make the difference going forwards.”
I am getting the sense the future King is frustrated with the lack of progress made by older generations.
20-year-old conservationist Robert Irwin, son of the late Steve Irwin, told me: “I think we all have a part to play in global conservation and in combatting some of the big issues that we face.”
“At the end of the day, we’re the ones who have inherited this world. We have a long way to go, a lot that needs to be done.”
“I am so encouraged to see so many young people taking the initiative, taking the charge.”
Robert is an Earthshot Prize Global Ambassador, which is being hosted by Prince William in Cape Town this week.
The prize aims to find innovative solutions to repair the planet, and supports small projects to scale up their solutions at speed to have a truly global impact.
The inaugural Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Programme is equipping 120 young people with leadership skills, storytelling and networking to take action around climate issues.
Prince William, it is understood, has taken an active role behind the scenes in driving forward initiatives like this.
Kensington Palace’s use of social media, which has evolved and grown considerably over the last few years, allows The Prince to talk directly to the younger generations and spread his message of “urgent optimism” for a healthier future planet.
Prince William, however, is limited by his role within the constitutional monarchy; he cannot be political and certainly cannot lobby lawmakers to change policy.
In South Africa this week, it looks like the future King is taking every opportunity to empower and inspire the future leaders of tomorrow to take action themselves.
