Prince William is “creating an amazing legacy” for his children and “for an entire generation”, according to his friend and fellow conservationist Robert Irwin.
Speaking at an event to showcase Earthshot Prize finalists and winners, the wildlife presenter praised the future king for “doing a fantastic job” in leading the ambitious £50million awards programme to protect the planet.
Asked whether he thought the Prince was passing on his climate optimism to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, Robert said: “Prince William is certainly creating an amazing legacy for his kids and for, you know, an entire generation to take inspiration from. And I have no doubt that they’ll, you know, carry on that mission. And it is wonderful.”
Robert, son of the legendary conservationist Steve Irwin, said there was a “symmetry” between the way he and William both encountered wildlife from a young age.
“I was born and raised and grew up in a family business and a family environment, you know, creating this amazing empire of conservation and a positivity,” he told HELLO! “And there is such a symmetry in that Prince William, the environment that he grew up in, how he travelled so much from such a young age and got to see wildlife around the world, and I’m sure that’s really inspired him.
“It’s a really, really special thing to be able to take all the experiences that you have in your life and inspire the next generation. That is what life’s about. And he’s doing a fantastic job at that.”
Robert, an Earthshot Prize Ambassador who spent time with the heir to the throne in Cape Town for last year’s awards, told HELLO!: “[Earthshot] really exemplifies his passion, his purpose, and it gives me a lot of hope as someone who’s dedicated their life to conservation. This is what I live and breathe.
© Getty“I grew up in an animal sanctuary. I was raised by crocodiles as much as I was raised by my mum and dad, Terri and Steve and, you know, it’s very encouraging to me to see someone who, again, grew up in the public eye and decided to dedicate his life to making the world a better place and creating his own legacy, while carrying on a very important legacy.
“I see a lot of synergy with that. It means a lot personally. And also I just think he is by far the best man for the job, because when you talk to him behind the scenes, it’s exactly the same as when you talk to him when you’re on camera, when you’re moderating a discussion with him, his passion is very genuine.”
Speaking at the Earthshot Prize and Bloomberg Leading With Impact event in London, Robert reflected on how the Prince is adapting his approach five years in and halfway through the ten-year Prize programme.
“I’ve noticed that Prince William has been adding more tools to the tool belt. He’s finding new ways, new people, new collaborations, to inspire greater change,” he said.
© Getty Images“Because every year, every Earthshot Prize awards that is held, that’s one less year in that decade, he feels that, we all feel that, we all feel a sense of urgency.
“But you’ve got to remember, there’s two parts to this urgency and optimism, and the optimism is still at the core of the Earthshot Prize.
“When I talk to Prince William, he’s always keen to hear about, you know, what have you been up to? And what have I been up to, you know? And how are we leading the charge? How are we bringing this from strength to strength?
“His sense of resolve, his sense of determination, is unwavering, but he is approaching this in a new way every year, and you have to do that the landscape is constantly changing, and he’s constantly adapting to that.
“When you’re bringing together so many different people from every different sector, that’s a big clash of industries and personalities, and you need someone like Prince William to navigate that and bring everyone together.”
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