The Prince of Wales made a rare joint appearance with his cousins at the Tusk Conservation Awards in London, where he presented three honours and spoke about the progress of conservation efforts in Africa.
Prince William, wearing a tuxedo and a poppy on Remembrance Day, attended the 14th annual ceremony on Wednesday evening. As royal patron of Tusk, he has attended the awards most years and remains committed to the cause he has supported since 2005.
Family support at the ceremony
His wife, Princess Catherine, did not accompany him, but he was joined by his cousins Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer, the nieces of his late mother, Princess Diana. Both sisters are Tusk ambassadors and, like William, regularly attend the event, which is one of the few occasions the cousins are known to attend together.
During the evening, William made three presentations: the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa, the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa and the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award. Each winner received a trophy and grant funding for their organisation to continue its work.
Speech highlights conservation gains
In his speech, William underlined the importance of the organisation and noted how the challenges facing the natural world have changed since the awards began 13 years ago. He pointed to positive signs, including an upward trend in the Mountain Gorilla population in Africa, rising black rhino numbers in Kenya and recovering elephant populations in southern Africa.
He also acknowledged the dangers of conservation work and praised workers for their “new approaches, adaptability and an extraordinary capacity for innovation”. The ceremony took place on Remembrance Day, with the Prince of Wales wearing a poppy for the occasion.
