The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have paid tribute to renowned primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, who has died at the age of 91. In a joint statement, Harry and Meghan described her as “a visionary humanitarian, scientist, friend to the planet, and friend to us”. Dame Jane died from natural causes while on a speaking tour in California.
The couple recalled how Goodall had held their son, Prince Archie, as a newborn baby at Frogmore Cottage in 2019. “She showered love and care to those who were privileged to know her. She will be deeply missed,” they said. The duke had also participated in a meeting of her Roots and Shoots youth project at Windsor Castle, and the two maintained a close bond over the years.
Greenpeace UK’s co-executive director, Will McCallum, called Goodall “one of the true conservation giants of our time”, praising her pioneering research and tireless advocacy. Naturalist Chris Packham described her as “remarkable” and her work as “revolutionary”, while former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others also paid tribute.
Born in London in 1934, Goodall began her groundbreaking study of chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1960. Her observation of a chimp using a tool challenged the definition of humans as the sole tool-makers. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 and was appointed UN Messenger of Peace in 2002, an accolade she considered her most prized.
