Prince William arrived in Cape Town on Monday for a four-day visit to South Africa focused on his annual Earthshot Prize, which honors environmental innovators.
This trip marks his first visit to South Africa since 2010, during which he will attend a global wildlife summit and meet with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
On Wednesday, he will take part in the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, where five winners will each receive £1 million ($1.3 million) to support their projects aimed at addressing climate change and other environmental challenges.
Launched in 2020 following his visit to Namibia, the Earthshot Prize draws its name from former U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s “moonshot” initiative, which aimed for the 1969 lunar landing.
In a statement prior to his visit, William expressed his hope that the prize would provide a platform for innovators driving change in their communities, encourage potential investors to scale African solutions, and inspire young people across Africa to engage with climate issues.
The Prince of Wales is traveling alone, as his wife Kate is currently managing her return to work after completing a course of preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
Given South Africa’s history as a former British colony, there have been calls from some citizens for the return of diamonds that were originally found in the country and are now part of the British crown jewels.
