A Right Royal Podcast celebrated its first-ever live episode with guests Tony Juniper and Pierre Paslier in honour of London Climate Action Week, where hosts Emmy Griffiths and Andrea Caamano discussed the Royal Family’s work on environmental issues alongside HELLO!’s Royal Editor, Emily Nash.
Tony, an environmentalist who has co-authored two books with King Charles, opened up about the Royal Family’s influence when it comes to exacting real change to help save the planet – and spoke warmly about the monarch’s efforts – even with the constraints of becoming King.
When asked if Charles deserves praise for his work on environmentalism, Tony said: “He certainly deserves it. And I think that idea of seeing him as the most influential environmentalist is correct. If you look back to those early days in the 1970s when these issues were really fringe, he really stuck with it.
“He read the science, he spoke to the experts, he formed opinions which were grounded on facts and evidence, and he put them out there. And he really was a lone voice in the establishment. For sure, in those days, there were a few environmental groups beginning to form, but in terms of people who had that kind of platform and that recognition as someone who was very much at the heart of the British state and with an international profile, he was unique, and he got a lot of pushback.
“He says himself, people said I was potty, and he got ridiculed, but that was something that never put him off. He stuck to his guns.”
Speaking about his role now, Tony added: “He’s been really building momentum and impact ever since, and he has a very different role in life now. But he was in a meeting yesterday in Lancaster House with a group of leaders from finance and business, looking at how we can fund the transition… how we align finance behind these big challenges, and he’s right there in the crowd, speaking to everybody, giving his enthusiasm and backing, and so really still showing influence and leadership despite the constraints of his new role.”
Tony spoke more about what it is like working with King Charles, as well as his opinion on the Princess of Wales’ Mother Nature video series, in the latest episode. Watch or listen to the whole episode now!
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