Prince William took an early morning stroll beneath South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain on Tuesday, Nov. 5, setting the stage for his Earthshot Prize awards in Cape Town.
The 42-year-old royal was joined by Australian TV personality Robert Irwin, son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin and a global ambassador for the Earthshot Prize. They walked in a group through Signal Hill, a scenic overlook above Cape Town, to spotlight the urgent need for biodiversity conservation. The Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, joined them for the final part of the walk.
In the stunning park that forms part of the Cape Floral Kingdom World Heritage Site, William engaged with rangers, conservationists, firefighters, mountain rescue volunteers, biodiversity experts and youth advocates. This unique area, known for its rare and endangered plant species, is essential for global biodiversity. William spoke with the local experts about the critical work they do to protect the region’s rich flora and fauna, balancing preservation with accessibility for residents and visitors alike.
The walk and conversations underscored William’s commitment to environmental stewardship just before the Earthshot Prize awards on Nov. 6, where he’ll honor groundbreaking efforts to heal the planet.
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At the top of the walk, a viewpoint over the suburbs of Cape Town and the South Atlantic ocean below, the Prince was then taken to meet a group of youngsters from the Mayine Afrika E Foundation which promotes mental and physical wellbeing in their community of Nyanga.
Founder Bathandwa ‘Just B’ Diniso told him how they use outings to the Mountain and parks to encourage appreciation of nature and caring for it. She tells PEOPLE, “He was so chilled! He’s a cool guy. There was no need for [the children] to panic. I wasn’t! That’s because I could see with the way he interacts with the people.”
She adds, “He was asking us what we do and what the vision is. Our vision is to raise children who are going to wake up on a daily basis inspired, motivated and eager to learn. We introduce the children to the parks and nature. Once they understand nature they can take care of it.”
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“The mountain, the parks, nature are helping. He said he loves it and he wanted to find out from the children could they work, do they see opportunities and would they be able to volunteer and what do they think of conversation. They said we need to take care of this.”
At the end of their walk, they were met by the Mayor of Cape Town Geordin Hill-Lewis. He tells PEOPLE, “He commented on the beauty of the mountain and the park.”
“Both days what struck me is how genuinely interested and engaging he is. I obviously meet a lot of foreign dignitaries but he strikes me as one that’s genuinely interested in the issues that he’s working while he’s here and very, very engaging.”
“It is clearly from the heart and I was very impressed.”
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Irwin and the prince — who wore a shirt by EcoAlf and a green jacket by British company Rapanui — have been allies in the fight for the planet for several years. Inspired by his late father, Irwin, along with his sister Bindi Irwin, 26, and the rest of their family, passionately support their animal conservation foundation, Wildlife Warriors, and work to protect endangered species through Australia Zoo.
Last year, Irwin called William “a real beacon to everyone in the conservation field.”
“It’s hard to put into words just how massive Earthshot is for wildlife conservation, for climate action, for the world. For Prince William, who has such a great platform, to lend his voice, his resources into creating positive change is such a refreshing, wonderful thing to see. I applaud what he is doing,” he tells PEOPLE.
For his second outing on Nov. 5, Prince William met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the president’s official residence in Cape Town. The visit highlighted an important facet of William’s role on this mini-tour: his soft-power diplomacy, an extension of the work that he, his father King Charles, and other senior royals undertake on behalf of the U.K. government.
William’s spokesman noted that similar high-level meetings, like his meeting with President Biden during the Earthshot Prize event in Boston in December 2022 and his meeting with Singapore’s president last year, have become a “golden thread” in his Earthshot visits.
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Antony Phillipson, the British High Commissioner to South Africa, emphasized that William’s visit represents “the highest level of engagement” between the two nations and “connects the narrative” from King Charles’ first state visit as monarch two years ago.
“We very much see this as a follow up to the state visit of November 2022 which we continue to see here as a very historic moment through the UK and South Africa, as the first state visit hosted by His Majesty the King,” he added.
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Also attending the meeting were U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and South African Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, underscoring what Phillipson described as a “really important” bilateral relationship.
