Prince William spoke on Tuesday (4) about “missing his grandmother”, Queen Elizabeth II. The comment was made during a speech calling for action to combat the illegal trade in wild animals.
In his first speech since becoming Prince of Wales after the monarch’s death last month, William recalled how he was influenced to care about the environment by his father, now King Charles III, and his grandparents, Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
“Our natural world is one of our greatest assets. It’s a lesson I learned from a young age, from my father and grandfather, both committed naturalists in their own right, and also from my late grandmother, who cared so much about the natural world.”
“In times of loss, it’s a comfort to honor those we miss for the work we do,” the prince said at a summit at the London Science Museum, where 300 leading figures from the private sector, conservation organizations and law enforcement gathered.
William, who has been campaigning for a few years on the issue, warned that the world does not have the “luxury of time” to fight the illegal trade, which moves up to US$ 20 billion a year, as estimated by the United for Wildlife. The practice is linked to violent crime, corruption and trafficking.
“There are still many criminals who believe they can act with impunity, many lives being destroyed and many species on the brink of extinction due to this heinous crime,” he warned.
William also paid tribute to Anton Mzimba, a park ranger who was shot dead in a nature reserve in South Africa in July.
“The devastating news about ranger Anton Mzimba is shocking confirmation of just how cruel the illegal wildlife trade is,” he said.
“He faced violent criminals and paid the ultimate price. It is only fitting that we pay tribute to him and all the other altruistic and frontline conservation rangers here today,” he said.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
