The Prince of Wales admitted he should have paid more attention in class as he toured laboratories making sustainable clothing dye with Hollywood star Cate Blanchett.
Prince William and the Oscar-winner actress visited the Norwich headquarters of UK-based company Colorifix.
The pair donned lab coats and goggles as they visited four different laboratories that each illustrated a step in Colorifix’s process of making environmentally-friendly fabric dye.
After learning about the technical DNA sequencing of natural colours, William quipped: "Today has just made me realise I should have listened in all of my chemistry lessons.
"Going back over all those old notes like, 'Damn, why didn't I pay more attention'."
© Alamy Stock PhotoWhile chemistry might not have been William's forte, the Prince graduated with a 2:1 in Geography from the University of St Andrews in 2005.
In 2020, William founded the Earthshot Prize, which aims to find solutions to repair and regenerate the planet.
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaceColorifix, an Earthshot Prize finalist in 2023, has developed a biological process that replaces the use of harmful chemicals in textile dyes.
As William and Cate were taken through each step of the process to make the eco-friendly dyes, the future King asked Sophie Vaud, the head of microbial engineering, to provide a "layman's version" of the science.
After identifying a colour created naturally by an animal or plant, Colorifix's scientists sequence the DNA of that organism to find out where the colour is coded in its genetics.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThat DNA code is then translated into a safe microbe, which is then fermented to grow, creating a dye that can be used on natural and synthetic fabrics.
Dyes made chemically have a negative impact on the environment as they seep into rivers, harming wildlife. The process also uses a large amount of water.
The next Earthshot awards will be held in Brazil in November, with a host of celebrities including Sir David Beckham, Heidi Klum, Billy Porter, Hannah Waddingham and Robert Irwin.
