Prince William made his first speech as The Prince of Wales, where he campaigned for support for the environment and wildlife and remembered his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Speaking at the event for United for Wildlife, William spoke of his late grandparents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and his father, King Charles, for their part in shaping his passion for conservation.
“Our natural world is one of our greatest assets. It is a lesson I learnt from a young age, from my father and grandfather, both committed naturalists in their own right, and also from my much-missed grandmother, who cared so much for the natural world.
“In times of loss, it is a comfort to honour those we miss through the work we do. I take great comfort then from the progress we are making to end the illegal wildlife trade.”
The illegal wildlife trade is worth up to £17 billion dollars. The Prince wants to bring attention to “sinister” criminal operations so they can be combated. The 40-year-old has been at the forefront of an initiative to bring banking, port authorities, and transport together to unite against criminal gangs – specifically gangs who poach ivory and other products.
The Prince of Wales will likely attend the 10th Tusk awards in London this November. The awards recognise dedicated individuals with inspiring stories and impact across the continent.
The United for Wildlife (UFW) Global Summit at London’s Science Museum brought 300 delegates from conservation organisations, law enforcement, and the private sector to underline global strength against illegal wildlife crime. Recently, UFW members saw a man convicted and sentenced to more than five years in prison for conspiring to traffic millions of dollars worth of elephant ivory and rhino horn. In that process, more than 130 animals were killed.
United for Wildlife was created as part of the Royal Foundation in 2014. The organisation works to protect endangered species from malicious trade.
