The Prince of Wales paid tribute to the late Queen's love of nature in his first speech since her funeral. The heir to the throne spoke of his “much-missed Grandmother” as he addressed the United for Wildlife (UfW) global summit at the Science Museum in London.
William said: “It’s heartening to see so many familiar faces whilst welcoming many new ones as well. You being here is a testament to how far United for Wildlife has grown.
"Our natural world is one of our greatest assets. It is a lesson I learnt from a young age, from my father and my grandfather, both committed naturalists in their own right, and also from my much-missed grandmother, who cared so much for the natural world."
UfW, which aims to protect protect endangered species from the illegal wildlife trade, was founded by William and the Royal Foundation in 2014. Tuesday's summit, hosted by Lord Hague, brought together over 300 leaders from different sectors around the world who are part of the organisation's network.
In his keynote speech, William highlighted the serious nature of the illegal wildlife trade. He warned it was destroying lives and bringing too many species towards extinction.
And he also paid tribute to Anton Mzimba, a conservationist and ranger in South Africa, who was reportedly shot and killed outside his home earlier this year. He spoke to William via video link last autumn, when the royal visited a technology company to learn about a new device to combat ivory smugglers.
William said: “Eight years ago, we set out to develop a solution to one of the largest, yet often overlooked, international crimes blighting our world. A crime that robs us all of our most precious natural resources and funds organised crime, the harms of which are often directly felt by the most vulnerable communities.
“And a crime that this year felt especially brutal. The devastating news about Ranger Anton Mzimba is shocking confirmation of how vicious the illegal wildlife trade is.
“Anton dedicated himself to the protection of wildlife, undertaking his role diligently and professionally despite threats to his life. He stood up to violent criminals and paid the ultimate price. It is only right that we pay tribute to him and all the other selfless rangers and frontline conservationists here today.
"And it is also only right that we honour him by continuing our work with renewed focus and vigour."
Lord Hague said William asked him eight years ago if he would convene meetings in relation to illegal wildlife crime. He said William is “really, really interested” in the issue, telling the PA news agency: “He cares very, very deeply about it, and he’s very knowledgeable about it.
“He’s always asking the question what more we can do, which is one of the things we’ve been discussing today.”
