Prince William embarked on a solo royal trip to Cape Town on November 4 for The Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony. Ahead of his visit, the Prince of Wales reflected on the importance of South Africa, particularly as he proposed to his wife, Princess Kate, there.
"Africa has always held a special place in my heart—as somewhere I found comfort as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife and, most recently, as the founding inspiration behind The Earthshot Prize," William said in a statement, via People.
He continued, "It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realized the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature."
William and Kate announced their engagement to the public in November 2010, and they wed the following year.
Although Prince William traveled to Cape Town without his wife, a royal expert suggested that the solo visit was a positive sign following Princess Kate's cancer treatment.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams explained, "Prince William... has made it clear his family, their wellbeing and their privacy come first."
He continued, "Catherine has been undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer, as she has so movingly told us, and though she has finished chemotherapy, she has said she still has a long way to go."
Ultimately, Fitzwilliams believes William wouldn't leave the country unless Kate was confident in her health. "William would undoubtedly not be going to South Africa, even though the trip is for the fourth Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony, if he did not feel that she was doing well and was happy coping with the family in his absence," he explained.
Ahead of his Cape Town trip, William said in a statement, "I am proud that, since its inception, The Earthshot Prize has traveled to Europe, North America and Asia, spotlighting and scaling 45 groundbreaking solutions, all of which are having a tangible impact as we work as a global collective to secure the future of our planet."
He continued, "This week we’ll travel to South Africa to spotlight our next cohort of 15 finalists and have the opportunity to join partners from across Africa to celebrate the inspiring approach to environmental innovation that is taking place across the continent."
