The Duke of Cambridge has launched his landmark environmental initiative, the Earthshot Prize, whereby 50 prizes worth £1million each will be offered over the next 10 years to those who can come up with groundbreaking solutions to the key environmental issues. A panel of 13 judges featuring William, broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, singer Shakira, actress Cate Blanchett, former Chinese basketball player Yao Ming and Queen Rania of Jordan, will decide which five people, groups of people or organisations should win the prizes each year. This comes after an ITV documentary followed William for two years on his environmental activism and wildlife protection journey, and after previous collaborations between Sir David and the prince.
These collaborations included his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis having an opportunity to ask the TV naturalist different questions.
However, William’s clear admiration for the 94-year-old may have felt like a slap in the face for his environmentalist father.
Pod Save the Queen is hosted by Ann Gripper and features Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers.
Mr Myers claimed William called Mr Attenborough his “single biggest influence” in terms of environmental activism, which could be interpreted as a slight to his father.
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Prince Charles was snubbed by Prince William in his comments about his environmentalist inspiration (Image: GETTY)
Prince William and David Attenborough launch Earthshot (Image: Kensington Palace)
The Prince of Wales has been a passionate environmentalist, speaking out and campaigning on the topic for over 50 years.
Mr Myers said he was “not sure how happy” Charles would be about this statement.
He said: “This is a huge, huge global challenge and it spelt to me as though William is really stepping out onto the global stage.
“And I think I’ve made a big play for him over the last couple of years when I’ve been visiting places like Israel and Palestine and Jordan, the Middle East essentially, and Africa we know he’s got a big passion for.
The Cambridges meet David Attenborough (Image: Kensington Palace)
“Well, this is becoming even more statesman-like on the global platform, the global arena, because he’s really putting himself out there and saying he’s a keen environmentalist.
“We saw in the ITV documentary about how he had said Sir David Attenborough was his single biggest influence on his conservation ideals and views about climate change and the climate emergency.
“I’m not too sure how happy his father will be about him saying that, but we all love David Attenborough so maybe he’ll let him off.”
The Earthshot prize, which has been dubbed the ‘Nobel Prize for the Environment’, takes inspiration from John F Kennedy’s Moonshot Prize, which became a catalyst to develop crucial new technologies that enabled the US to put a man on the Moon.
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Prince Charles speaking about the environment at Davos this year (Image: GETTY)
There are five key areas they hope to address: protect and restore nature, clean our air, revive our oceans, build a waste-free world and fix our climate.
The £50million has been funded by the Global Alliance Founding Partners, a group of leading philanthropists around the world who have come together with William and Sir David, including the Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Jack Ma Foundation and the Aga Khan Development Network.
Mr Myers branded the project a “PR masterclass”, which has been meticulously planned over the past couple of years.
However, Charles has been working on these issues for over 50 years.
He recently spoke out about how he was considered “rather dotty” for speaking about plastic waste and air pollution in 1970.
His first speech on the subject was to the Countryside Steering Committee for Wales five decades ago, and he is still working on the subject now.
His latest project, the Sustainable Markets Initiative, supported by the World Economic Forum, aims to help financial markets become more sustainable and put the planet at the centre of the world’s economy.
In many ways, William’s ‒ and to some extent, Harry’s ‒ environmental activism is taking on the baton from their father.
Mr Myers said Palace insiders see it as a “changing of the guard”, reflecting the general trend within the Royal Family of the Queen and Philip winding down, and Charles and William taking on more responsibilities.
He said: “Charles has been speaking at Davos, he’s been speaking a lot about the environment recently.
“Obviously he’s been doing it for the last 40-50 years and he’s been speaking about this for a long, long time.
“And people at the Palace were saying this is another changing of the guard ‒ Philip, his grandfather, was speaking about these issues 70-odd years ago, then Charles and now William sees this as his time to raise these issues.”
