Prince William is expanding his reach as a statesman as he prepares to arrive in South Africa to host the annual Earthshot Prize environmental awards.

The British government is using its presence in Cape Town to facilitate a meeting with the country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Foreign Affairs Minister David Lammy, who is in the city specifically to attend.

This is part of the UK’s larger effort to develop and support connections across Africa in areas as diverse as trade and climate change.

High Commissioner Antony Phillipson explained that Tuesday’s meeting was in direct response to the President’s historic State Visit to the United Kingdom hosted by the King in November 2022 – the first visit of his reign.

He told the Mail: ‘We’re delighted to have the Prince of Wales here this week and we’re organizing (a number of) bilateral events around that.

The Prince of Wales has spoken of his special connection with Africa as the Earthshot Award prepares to hold a glittering awards ceremony in Cape Town.

Prince William will arrive in Cape Town (pictured) tomorrow (Monday) for the fourth annual Earthshot Award on Wednesday

‘We see this as a follow-up to the state visit in 2022, which we continue to see as a historic moment between the UK and South Africa. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will also attend the call to the President, and he even invited them both.

‘This is the highest level of interaction between the UK and South Africa… and is a follow-up to the State Visit. ‘This is a great opportunity to highlight some of the key themes in the UK South Africa relationship around the environment, climate, nature, growth and opportunities for everyone, including younger generations.’

Highlighting the importance of the Royal Family in international ‘soft diplomacy’, Mr Phillipson described how a series of important treaties and agreements were signed on everything from trade to science and technology as a result of the State Visit, which featured a glittering State Banquet. It was held in honor of the politician.

This week they hope to take this further with the official biannual UK/South Africa Forum.

He said: ‘In arranging the state visit, we not only used it as a platform for interaction between the President and His Majesty the King, but there was also a high-level ministerial delegation accompanying Mr Ramaphosa…. We used this visit to sign new agreements.

Prince says ‘Africa has always had a special place’ in his heart as he prepares to attend environmental awards event

‘We used the state visit to signal at the highest level that there is a strong partnership with South Africa, while also supporting the agreements we have been pursuing for the two years since.

‘I think the Royal Family’ played a special role in terms of participation; ‘This is the highest level of participation we can offer the president.’

A Kensington Palace spokesman also acknowledged that improving global relations had been the ‘golden thread’ running through the last three Earthshot Prize awards events.

Prince William will arrive in Cape Town tomorrow (Monday) as part of a four-day visit for the fourth annual Earthshot Prize on Wednesday.

It has organized its decade-long awards to seek and develop the most positive global solutions to the environmental crisis.

Five winners are chosen each year, with each receiving a staggering £1 million in prize money to help ‘grow’ their idea.

This year’s finalists range from an alliance of indigenous groups working to protect the Amazon to a company that produces sustainable refrigeration.

The prince, whose wife, the Princess of Wales, decided to stay at home with his children while his recovery from cancer treatment continues, will also hold a series of events with communities around Cape Town.

Although Africa contributes the least to global warming and has the lowest emissions, it is the continent most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Earthshot CEO Hannah Jones said William wanted to usher in a decade of ‘decisive and transformative change’.

To date it has awarded £20 million in prize money and helped organizations access a further £77 million to grow their ideas. They also provide guidance and mentoring.

In honor of the event and William’s visit, the Mayor of Cape Town this week will replant a lily they call The Earthshot Lily, which has been extinct in the area for more than 100 years due to wetland destruction.

At Wednesday’s awards ceremony, dubbed the Prince’s ‘Super Bowl’ moment, environmental solutions to ‘fix’ the planet will be recognized and will be broadcast and shown online in 50 African countries with a potential African audience of millions.

Cape Town’s Table Mountain and other landmarks will be bathed in green during the four-day Earthshot Week hosted by the city and attended by William, and 1,000 brave community members have been invited to the ceremony in recognition of their efforts.

The Earthshot Award’s green carpet has been a fixture since William first held the awards ceremony in London three years ago; Boston and Singapore followed last year.

Guests have been asked to ‘re-wear’ their wardrobes or feature African designers to highlight the importance of local talent and sustainable fashion, and arrivals to the famous promenade will be live-streamed on the Earthshot Prize’s YouTube channel, with hosts Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and Moozlie in attendance. .

The awards event will be held in a reusable dome used for a number of events, and the production ceremony will employ approximately 650 people locally. It will be opened by composer and singer Lebo M, who will perform Circle Of Life from The Lion King in a pre-recorded performance from the top of Table Mountain.