Prince Charles says he’s ‘very proud’ of son William for for ‘his growing commitment to environment’

Prince Charles has revealed he’s ‘very proud’ of his son Prince William ahead of his first annual Earthshot prize today. 

Taking to Instagram, the Prince of Wales, 72, praised his eldest son, 39, for his ‘growing commitment to the environment and the bold ambition of the Earthshot Prize’.  

Both royals are long time environmental campaigners,  with William set to attend the first ever Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony at Alexandra Palace in London tonight with his wife Kate Middleton, also 39.

Created by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, The Earthshot Prize has led an unprecedented global search for the most inspiring and innovative solutions to the greatest environmental challenges facing the planet.

The Earthshot Prize is the most ambitious environmental prize in history and this inaugural ceremony will reflect this.

In a rare and touching public statement, Charles wrote: ‘I am very proud of my son, William, for his growing commitment to the environment and the bold ambition of the Earthshot Prize.

‘As a world, we need to come together to inspire, reimagine and build the sustainable future we so desperately need. 

‘Over the coming decade, with future generations in mind, the Earthshot Prize, and its inspirational nominees, will help us find the innovative solutions.

‘In parallel, through my Terra Carta and Sustainable Markets Initiative, we will work to mobilize the trillions of dollars required to transition the global economy onto a more sustainable trajectory.

‘Together, with all those who join us, we have a real opportunity to deliver a brighter future for humanity while restoring harmony between Nature, People and Planet.

The Earthshot Prize is the most ambitious environmental prize in history and this inaugural ceremony will reflect this

‘HRH The Prince of Wales’.

The post as quickly flooded with hundreds of like and comments praising Charles for sincerity and environmental campaigning.

‘Such beautiful words from our wonderful Prince,’ said one.

‘That is such a beautiful photo of the two of you,’ added another.

Last week, Prince Charles said he ‘understands’ why Greta Thunberg is ‘fed up’ with Boris Johnson and other world leaders over climate change – and also understands the frustrations of groups like Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain.

Speaking to the BBC in Prince George’s Wood, an arboretum Charles has created in the gardens of his house on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeen and named after his grandson, the heir to the throne said he is ‘deeply worried’ about the Earth and said that humans are ‘over exploiting’ and damaging nature.

Asked if he thought climate activist Greta Thunberg was on to something when she dismissed Boris Johnson and other world leaders’ attempts to tackle climate change as ‘blah blah blah’, the Prince of Wales shared his sympathy.

He said: ‘I knew in the end all of these young people would get fed up because they feel nothing is ever happening so of course they’re going to get frustrated. I totally understand. Because nobody would listen. They see their future being totally destroyed.’

Prince Charles expressed his sympathy for groups like XR and activists like Greta Thunberg in a wide-ranging BBC interview

Discussing world leaders, he added: ‘It’s just talk. The problem is trying to get action on the ground which I’ve been trying to do for the last 40 years.’

He also said he understands why groups like XR and Insulate Britain take action, though he added: ‘I understand why they go out but it isn’t helpful to do it in a way that alienates people.

‘I totally understand the frustration. The difficulty is how do you direct that frustration in a way that is more constructive than destructive.’

Discussing XR, he also revealed: ‘Extinction Rebellion came and did a sit-in in my driveway in Highgrove when I was on a tour. But the marvellous thing was they left a letter behind saying very nice things. Saying, you know, back in such and such a time you said such and such, you were right.

‘Then in 19 something you said something else, you were right. You were right, you were right. That was marvellous, that was the right kind of demonstration as far as I’m concerned.’

The Earthshot Prize aims to incentivise change and inspire collective action around our unique ability to innovate, problem solve and ultimately repair our planet over the next ten years. The Earthshot Prize is based on five ‘Earthshot’ goals: Protect and restore nature; Fix our climate; Clean our air; Revive our oceans; Build a waste free world. Five £1 million prizes will be awarded each year for the next 10 years, providing at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest environmental problems by 2030

Charles also revealed how he doesn’t eat meat and fish on two days a week and dairy on one day.

Most remarkably, he explained how he had his Aston Martin converted so it runs on surplus English wine and whey from cheese production. The car, which he has had for 51 years, now runs on a fuel called E85 – made up of 85% bioethanol and 15% unleaded petrol.

Describing his diet, he added: ‘That’s one way to do it. If more people did that it would reduce a lot of the pressure on the environment.’