‘Your story is unbelievable’: Prince William congratulates Earthshot Prize 2022 finalists as they meet for the first time at a Windsor retreat
- The Prince of Wales looked animated as he met with Earthshot finalists today
- Finalists were gathered in Windsor for a retreat as part of Earthshot’s fellowship
- Read more: Prince William shares behind-the-scenes snaps of him preparing for the Earthshot Prize awards
The Prince of Wales was deep in conversation with the finalists of the 2022 Earthshot Prize this afternoon at a retreat in Windsor, telling one woman her story was ‘unbelievable’.
Prince William, 41, met with the innovators for the first time at the Earthshot Prize Fellowship Retreat in Cumberland Lodge at Windsor Great Park, which is part of the Earthshot Prize’s Fellowship Programme.
The father-of-three looked comfortable in a sharp suit, warming himself up with a blue jumper, as he chatted to each the finalists from this year’s awards which took place in Boston in December and asked how he could help them achieve their goals.
The Prince of Wales’s afternoon followed a morning visit to a foodbank in Windsor, where he and the Princess of Wales met with staff and helped out sorting donated food products into categories.
The Prince of Wales (pictured) attended the Earthshot Prize Fellowship Retreat this afternoon where he met with finalists from this year’s prize and chatted to them about their innovative projects to combat the harmful effects of climate change
Following a charitable morning helping out at the foodbank, William visited the finalists at the retreat where he chatted to them about their innovative projects to help combat climate change.
He looked engrossed in conversation as he spoke, engaging in one of his greatest passions, while the finalists told him about their plans for 2023 and the years to come.
The Prince of Wales looked animated as he chatted to the finalists about the Earthshot Prize, a passion of his since he founded it in 2020
The Prince of Wales greeted one of the finalists at the retreat with a handshake as he spent the afternoon there
William, 40, listened to the finalists who had gathered at the retreat as part of the new Earthshot Prize Fellowship Programme
He spoke to Min Wang, whose company, Desert Agricultural Transformation, turns desert sand into agricultural land.
She invited William to visit one of her project’s sites in China.
He said: ‘If I am passing by I will be visiting all of your projects. I have made a note to my team.’
He added: ‘So by year 10 I will still be visiting Earthshot projects.’
He then met Charlot Magayi, whose company Mukuru makes clean and reliable cook stoves for low-income households in western Kenya.
Ms Magayi grew up in Mukuru, the third largest slum in Kenya. Her business focuses on providing families with clean stoves that are less likely to expose them to harmful air pollution in their own homes.
William gave her a particularly warm greeting.
‘Congratulations,’ he said. ‘The last time I saw you you were surrounded by children. Your story is unbelievable.’
Speaking to the PA news agency afterwards, Ms Magayi said: ‘I started my business in 2017 because my daughter got burned by a traditional stove.
‘I grew up in a slum in Kenya, and that is the reason why my business is called Mukuru.
‘So I wanted to create a stove for my community, and then we did, and it just blew up.’
William went into private group sessions with the finalists, where they spoke to him about their hopes and ambitions for the year ahead.
As part of the retreat, the attendees will hear speeches from Christiana Figueres, former UN Climate Chief and Chair of The Earthshot Prize and Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, environmental activist, geographer and Member of The Earthshot Prize Council.
Later this week, attendees will travel to London where they will attend a forum at Deloitte and will have the chance to meet advisors and potential investors for their projects.
During the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony 2022 in Boston, the Prince of Wales stressed the importance of the project in finding innovative solutions to the harmful effects of climate change.
Father-of-three William chatted to some of the Earthshot Prize winners (pictured) following a morning of volunteering
The Prince of Wales (pictured shaking hands) spent the afternoon at the retreat
William laughed as he was joined on the sofa with some of the Earthshot Prize finalists who are embarking upon the fellowship
He said: ‘I believe that the Earthshot solutions you have seen this evening prove we can overcome our planet’s greatest challenges.
‘And by supporting and scaling them we can change our future.
‘Alongside tonight’s winners and finalists, and those to be discovered over the years to come, it’s my hope the Earthshot legacy will continue to grow, helping our communities and our planet to thrive.’
Ending the evening with a note of optimism, the Prince concluded: ‘In the same way the space effort six decades ago created jobs, boosted economies, and provided hope, so too can the solutions borne of tonight’s Earthshot Prize winners.
‘The decisions we make now will affect generations to come, which is why we must choose the path of hope, optimism, and urgency to repair our planet.’
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