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Prince & Princess of Wales

Duke of Cambridge attends private dinner to advocate for protecting African elephants

On Wednesday evening, The Duke of Cambridge was the guest of honour at a charity event hosted by the Giants Club. This club is backed by The Independent and works to protect elephants and conserve the land they live and rely on.

Evgeny Lebedev is the Patron of the Giants Club and was the host of this dinner, which was held at the Kensington Palace state apartments. Prince William mingled with philanthropists and guests to celebrate the charity’s achievements and discuss future goals. The Giants Club helps lock up poachers in Uganda.

Royal Central has reported numerous times about The Duke of Cambridge’s personal passion for conserving Africa’s wildlife. He travelled to Vietnam last month for that purpose. The Giants Club was founded and launched to protect 50% of Africa’s elephants by the year 2020. The Presidents of Kenya, Botswana, Uganda and Gabon are credited with establishing the charity. The organisation seeks to bring together African heads of state, global business leaders, and elephant protection experts.

Some of the distinguished guests included Ugandan Prince Hassan Kimbugwe; Kitili Mbathi, the head of the Kenya Wildlife Service; and Professor Lee White, the head of national parks in Gabon. The latter guest is at the frontline of elephant protection.

Dr Max Graham, the CEO of the Giants Club’s implementation charity Space for Giants, told The Independent: “Despite well-intentioned commitments made at recent international conservation forums, demand for ivory remains high and therefore elephants remain at real risk of being wiped out from the landscapes they have roamed for centuries.

“We urgently need to scale up investment in frontline protection for Africa’s elephants, as well ensuring the legal penalties for wildlife crimes are robust and effectively implemented.

“We were honoured to be joined by distinguished guests, including HRH Prince William, to cultivate high-level support from the world’s most prominent key influencers and philanthropists for the plight of Africa’s elephants and the landscapes they depend on.”