Royal Connection: Prince of Wales Finds Solace and Inspiration in Vibrant South Africa

‘Earth Shot’ award ceremony, President Ramaphosa meeting… ‘Soft diplomacy’ in full swing

(London, Johannesburg = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Ji-yeon and Yoo Hyeon-min = British Crown Prince William (42) visits Cape Town, South Africa for the environmental protection award ceremony and embarks on a full-fledged ‘soft diplomacy’ move.

Kensington Palace, the Crown Prince’s side, announced that the Crown Prince will arrive in Cape Town on the 4th (local time) and stay for four days, meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and attending the Global Wildlife Conference and the annual Earth Shot Awards.

The main purpose of this visit, the Earth Shot Awards Ceremony on the night of the 6th, will award $1.2 million (approximately 1.6 billion won) in prize money to five organizations that have presented innovative solutions to problems in the environmental field.

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Earth Shot is an environmental award created by Prince William in 2020 and is given to innovative ideas that solve Earth’s problems.

Prince William said he wanted to use the award ceremony to inspire young people to participate in the environmental movement in Africa, a continent of 1.5 billion people that has the least impact on global warming but is vulnerable to climate change.

To this end, we will also hold meetings with young environmental activists and local fishermen.

Southern Africa is currently experiencing its worst drought and hunger crisis in decades, severely affecting 27 million people, according to the United Nations.

There was also a schedule to visit a high school in Cape Town and practice rugby with students.

Crown Princess Kate Middleton will not accompany her on this visit.

Prince William has a deep connection to the African continent.

After her mother, the late Princess Diana, died in a car accident in Paris, France in 1997, she traveled to Africa as a child. He and his wife, Princess Kate, got engaged at a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya in 2010. Additionally, the Associated Press reported that Earth Shot was conceived during a visit to Namibia in 2018.

“Africa is where I found solace as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife, and most recently the source of inspiration for founding Earth Shot,” Prince William said in a statement. “It will always hold a special place in my heart.”

British media, including The Times, paid attention to Prince William’s move to South Africa as a global ‘statesman’ engaging in soft diplomacy.

The Crown Prince is scheduled to meet with President Ramaphosa, British Foreign Minister David Lammy, and South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola for 45 minutes at President Ramaphosa’s official residence on the 5th.

According to the Telegraph, a Kensington Palace spokesperson described this visit to South Africa as “another example of the Crown Prince’s evolution into a global politician.”

The crown prince’s father, King Charles III (75), invited President Ramaphosa to Buckingham Palace as his first state guest after taking the throne in November 2022.

British High Commissioner to South Africa Antony Philipson said of the Crown Prince’s visit, “It is the highest level of engagement between our two countries since South Africa’s elections and government formation at the end of May. We see this as a follow-up to the 2022 state visit, which was a historic moment for both countries.” said.

hyunmin623@yna.co.kr

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2024/11/04 20:04 Sent