Prince William spoke about his personal connections to Africa ahead of his four-day visit to Cape Town for the Earthshot Prize ceremony.

The Prince of Wales, 42, said the continent held a “special place in my heart” as it was a place where he “found comfort as a teenager” – and where he proposed to Kate Middleton.

Prince William proposed to the Princess of Wales during a romantic getaway to Kenya in 2010. He had been carrying the engagement ring – which once belonged to Princess Diana – in his backpack for weeks.

On Monday, the heir to the throne will begin a four-day visit to South Africa, called Earthshot Week, which will feature young African environmentalists and include a meeting with the country’s prime minister, Cyril Ramaphosa.

The Prince of Wales will also deliver what Kensington Palace described as a historic speech on nature, the environment and his support for rangers, at the start of a two-day summit for United for Wildlife, its umbrella organization fighting against illegal wildlife trafficking. animals.

Prince William has spoken about his personal connections to Africa ahead of his four-day visit to Cape Town for the Earthshot Prize ceremony next week.

Prince William gave a sweet nod to his wife Kate in a long message on social media

Before that, the prince said: “Africa has always held a special place in my heart – because it is where I found solace as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife and most recently as the founding inspiration for the Earthshot Prize.

“It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realized how innovative and positive solutions to environmental problems could lead to transformative change for humans and nature.

“I am proud that since its inception, the Earthshot Prize has traveled across Europe, North America and Asia, highlighting and scaling 45 game-changing solutions, all of which are having a tangible impact as we work as as a global collective to ensure the future of our planet. .’

The ceremony will take place on Wednesday in a reusable dome which has been used for a number of events, with around 600 jobs created or working to build the structure.

Prince William is expected to travel to Cape Town without his wife Kate Middleton, who is prioritizing her recovery after completing chemotherapy this year.

Prince William said: “This week we will travel to South Africa to highlight our next cohort of 15 finalists and have the opportunity to join partners from across Africa to celebrate the inspiring approach to environmental innovation taking place across the continent.

“By the end of the week, I hope the Earthshot Prize will provide a platform for all those innovators who are bringing change to their communities, encourage potential investors to accelerate the scaling of African solutions and inspire young people from across Africa who are engaged in climate issues. .

“I firmly believe that if we come together with collective ambition and urgency, we can reshape the future of our planet.”

The Prince of Wales, 42, said the continent held a “special place in my heart” as it was a place where he “found comfort as a teenager” – and where he proposed to Kate Middleton

Prince William proposed to the Princess of Wales during a romantic getaway to Kenya in 2010

The ceremony will take place on Wednesday in a reusable dome which has been used for a number of events, with around 600 jobs created or working to build the structure.

The finalists, from countries including France, Ghana, Indonesia and Nepal, are vying for a £1 million prize awarded to each winner in five categories, with the money earmarked to develop their ideas.

The five categories, or Earthshots, are: protecting and restoring nature; purify our air; revive our oceans; build a world without waste; and fix our climate.

The initiative was inspired by former US President John F. Kennedy’s Project Moonshot, which challenged scientists to place an astronaut on the Moon and return him safely – and, in doing so, helped to advance technology.

William pictured at the Earthshot awards ceremony last year

The prince pictured alongside Hannah Jones, CEO of the Earthshot Awards

The prince was photographed with Hannah Waddingham, who attended last year’s ceremony.

Among the finalists in the “Building a Waste-Free World” category is Keep It Cool, a Kenya-based company that uses solar-powered refrigeration to help farmers reduce crop waste.

The “Fixing Our Climate” category features U.S. company Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems, which converts excess heat produced during steel or cement manufacturing into electricity.

British start-up NatureMetrics, a finalist for nature protection and restoration, uses environmental DNA technology to identify species populations and report environmental and conservation impacts.

Prince William and Kate at the 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 2 of the same year.