WILLIAM’S WAKE-UP CALL FOR THEWORLD
PRINCE WILLIAM: A PLANET FOR US ALL Monday, ITV, 9pm
One day he will be King, but already Prince William has shown that he is ready to inherit the mantle of his grandmother’s devotion to public duty. He is also very much his father’s son, speaking out with impassioned concern for the natural world, just as Prince Charles has for decades.
Now an inspirational documentary, filmed over the past two years, shows William on his travels around the world with wife Kate as he pursues his mission of doing all he can to help preserve the planet.
It is a mission that has become charged with an intensely personal sense of determination thanks to his young family. ‘I’ve always loved nature but fatherhood has given me a new sense of purpose,’ he says. ‘Now I’ve got George, Charlotte and Louis in my life. Your outlook does change. You want to hand over to the next generation the wildlife in a much better condition.’
Journeying to Pakistan, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge witness the scale of the unprecedented crisis that the world currently faces because of global warming, as they discover how the glaciers high in the Hindu Kush mountains are melting faster than ever before – posing a calamitous threat to the supply of fresh water for millions of people in the surrounding lands.
In Africa, William gets unnervingly close to a rhino – even feeding it a carrot
– as he voices his fears for the existence of a species cruelly preyed upon by poachers who are fuelling the senseless ivory trade, against which he has campaigned for years.
However desperate the situation might appear to be, William also finds cause for optimism in the ranks of his allies for the environmental cause, including Sir David Attenborough (above, with William and his family) and – most importantly – a younger generation. William declares: ‘I always believed it’s possible to give the young people hope and belief that things can get fixed. I have the belief if we all work together it can make a difference.’
Such faith in humanity provides a rare beacon of hope to lead the way in these tumultuous times – a priceless gift from William to Britain and the world.