“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.” As a royal enthusiast, I couldn’t help but pause at Prince William’s heartfelt reference to his childhood. Perhaps it was a nod to his late mother, Princess Diana?
A force in her own right, Diana also had a strong connection to Africa through her humanitarian work as a royal family member. In the late ‘90s, she visited often, raising awareness about AIDS and the government use of landmines that eventually led to real-life change (her brave walk through an active landmine site in Angola will forever go down in history). Diana tragically died in 1997, when Prince William was just 15 years old. Could this be why the continent brings him so much comfort?
My royal senses say yes, and as he continued to grow up, Africa became more and more special. It was the place where he proposed to the love of his life, Kate, as well as the place where he followed in his mother’s footsteps, inciting change and challenging the status quo through his philanthropic endeavors. “It was in Nambia in 2018 that I realized the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature.”
