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William and Kate at Earthshot© Getty

Prince William reveals Princess Kate's reaction to Cape Town trip as she remains at home with the kids

The Prince of Wales spoke ahead of the Earthshot Prize Awards in South Africa

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
November 6, 2024
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The Prince of Wales said he hopes that his wife the Princess of Wales is "cheering him on" ahead of the Earthshot Prize Awards in Cape Town on Wednesday night.

Prince William, 42, is expected to walk the green carpet at the ceremony in a sustainable eco-dome in the South African city.

It's a solo four-day trip for the Prince as Kate has remained at home in the UK amid her gradual return to royal duties after completing cancer treatment in September.

When asked how his wife is, William told the broadcasters ahead of the awards: "She's doing really well thanks. And hopefully she is watching tonight. So cheering me on. She's been amazing this whole year. I know she will be really keen to see tonight be a success."

Kate attended the inaugural awards in London in 2021 and Boston in 2022, but missed last year's bash in Singapore to stay home to support their son Prince George through his first major set of exams.

The Prince was also asked about his personalised "Papa" bracelet from daughter Princess Charlotte.

"Well, this is a relic, if you like, from a Taylor Swift concert that my daughter decided that she wanted to create a bracelet for," William revealed. "She gave it to me when I came away. So I promised that I would wear it and try not to lose it while I was out here."

Prince William's friendship bracelet © Getty
William's "Papa" bracelet

With the focus being on finding solutions to repair and protect the planet, William was quizzed about his family's own efforts.

"Every family tries to do what they can to sort of help with the environment," he said. "We go through all the basics of recycling and making sure we minimise water use and turning off lights when we leave the house.

Charlotte and William grinning on balcony© Getty
The family at Trooping the Colour back in June

"And I think every family has these conversations. You just try to do what you can. The Earthshot Prize has got to be a bit more global than that. We are trying to do big scale ambition and big scale business to tackle some of the solutions.

"But I brought the children along that journey and tonight I hope they are watching, and they are proud of what we are trying to do here, which is to really galvanise that energy, that enthusiasm to make real impact."

Prince William with the Table Mountain in the background © Getty
William has met with young people looking to find solutions to repair the planet on his trip

William, who told of his affection for Africa ahead of his arrival in Cape Town earlier this week, reiterated his love for the continent, saying: "I've been greatly looking forward to the time I can bring Earthshot to Africa. I love this continent. And spent many a year looking around exploring it. 

"And just really thrilled to have the reception of the exuberance and energy that's going to be in this room tonight around Earthshot in South Africa."

WATCH: Inside Prince William's catch-up with Robert Irwin

And when asked about how he's trying to get the message out there about Earthshot, he added: "I think everyone wants some hope and wants some optimism. I think the Earthshot encompasses urgent optimism. That's what we're here for.

"And as I think you will see tonight, the amount of youth from Africa who'll be here. They'll be letting you know and letting everyone know that it matters to them. And without them, you know, the future is looking pretty bleak.

"So these are the game changers. These are the innovators. These are the inventors that are going to make the world a better place for us in the future."

LISTEN: Is this Prince William's biggest ambition to date?

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