The Prince of Wales has spoken of the “special place” Africa holds in his heart as he prepares to host award ceremony in Cape Town. The four-day visit, which begins on Monday, will be the Prince’s first to the continent in six years and his first to South Africa since 2010, when he undertook , the Duke of Sussex. His love for Africa is born of a combined with a powerful emotional attachment formed in the wake of .
For both Princes William and Harry, the African wilderness offered precious respite in those dark months and years and a freedom that could not be found at home. Ahead of his trip, the Prince said: “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. “It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realised the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature.
” The Prince said that by the end of the week, he hoped to have shone a spotlight on all who are trying to change their communities and encouraged potential investors to invest in the expansion of African environmental solutions. He added: “I firmly believe that if we come together with collective ambition and urgency, we can reshape the future of our planet.” As well as unveiling the latest five winners of the , the Prince will seek to celebrate innovators from across Africa who are help.
