Prince George said he didn’t want to finish watching a documentary by Sir David Attenborough because its coverage of extinction made him “so sad”. Prince William, who is today launching his most ambitious project so far, the Earthshot Prize, opened up on his firstborn’s while watching David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet.
The Duke of Cambridge said: “The most recent one – the extinction one – actually George and I had to turn it off, we got so sad about it halfway through.
“He said to me ‘you know I don’t want to watch this any more’.
“Why has it come to this and, you know, he’s seven years old and he’s asking me these questions already, he really feels it, and I think every seven-year-old out there can relate to that.”
Indeed the topic of extinction appears to be at the forefront of the seven-year-old’s mind, as he asked about it to Sir David in person.
Prince George was saddened by Sir David Attenborough’s latest documentary (Image: GETTY/KENSINGTON PALACE)
Prince George loves dinosaurs, his parents have previously revealed (Image: GETTY)
In a sweet video released by Kensington Palace over the weekend, Prince William and Kate’s children were filmed asking one question each to the naturalist.
George asked him what species he thinks is doomed to become extinct next, prompting a reassuring response.
Sir David said: “Well let’s hope there won’t be any, because there are a lot of things we can do when animals are in danger of extinction. We can protect them.”
Prince George hasn’t been the only viewer terribly saddened by Sir David’s latest film.
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Prince William has launched the Earthshot Prize (Image: GETTY)
After it premiered over the weekend, several Twitter user expressed their gloom on social media.
One, Hanna, said: “Crying at A Life On Our Planet, so heartbreaking how sad David Attenborough looks”.
Leela added: “David Attenborough has upset me, hearing him speak about how we’re destroying this planet. I’m close to crying”.
Dan also said: “Just finished A Life On Our Planet.
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Prince George on his first day of school (Image: GETTY)
Prince George with his siblings, Kate and William clapping for UK’s carers (Image: GETTY)
“David Attenborough’s final plea to the humans of this earth to change our ways and save our planet, from the destruction we bestow upon it.
“Beautiful, and so sad. I’m not crying, you are.”
Prince William discussed the need to take action to protect the planet upon launching his ambitious Earthshot Prize.
When asked by Sky News about the importance of optimism and whether he tried to bring it into discussions with his family, the Duke acknowledged he is “struggling” to be positive when thinking of earth’s future.
Prince George is third in line to the throne (Image: EXPRESS)
He said: “I think to be perfectly honest I’m struggling to keep the optimism levels going with my own children, and that’s really kind of like… an understanding moment.
“Where you kind of look at yourself and go ‘am I doing enough on this, are we really at this stage in life when I can’t be hugely optimistic and pleased that my children are getting so into nature’.
“Because you kind of worry and dread they’re soon going to realise that we are in a very, very dangerous and difficult time in the environment and that as a parent, you feel you’re letting them down immediately.”
Comparing the environmental crisis to the coronavirus pandemic, Prince William said governments need to provide funds to tackle the climate emergency.
He said: “We found over £190 billion worth to fix and help the recovery through COVID.
Princess Charlotte asking a question to Sir David (Image: KENSINGTON PALACE)
“We can do the same for the environment.”
The Duke’s Earthshot Prize will span over the next decade and award individuals and organisations developing solutions to the crisis and thus improve life for all and for generations to come.
Speaking about William’s initiative, which is set to award £50million in one million prizes over the next 10 years, a spokesperson for the Prize said: “This new global prize for the environment will incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years—a critical decade for the Earth.
“As well as identifying evidence-based solutions to the biggest environmental problems the planet faces, The Earthshot Prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism that we can rise to the biggest challenges of our time.”
