Prince Harry honours Prince Philip in Earth Day tribute as a ‘conservation champion’

Duke of Sussex says he is ‘proud and energised’ to continue his grandfather’s conservation legacy

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Thursday 22 April 2021 19:01 BST
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Prince Harry narrates African parks video for Earth Day

Prince Harry has honoured his late grandfather Prince Philip and vowed to continue his legacy while raising awareness about the importance of conservation on Earth Day.

On Thursday, the Duke of Sussex lent his voice to the fight for wildlife and biodiversity protection by working with nonprofit organisation African Parks to narrate a video titled: “Hope Starts Here.”

In the rerelease of the video, the duke explains that African Parks, which he has served as president of since 2017, was founded in 2000 to “effectively manage Africa’s protected areas”.

“With 19 parks under management in 11 countries, our footprint has scaled to almost 15m hectares,” Harry continues. “These vital landscapes are helping to safeguard Africa’s biodiversity, serving as a foundation for a healthy planet, and delivering benefits to hundreds of thousands of people.

“By preventing poaching and the wildlife trade, we are protecting species at their source and our global health and wellbeing.”

In an accompanying statement, Harry paid tribute to his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh’s own efforts as a “conservation champion” and said that he feels “proud and energised” to continue the important work.

Reflecting on the “critical” importance of looking at the “strengthening and protecting of biodiversity” as both a value and a responsibility that is “vital to our way of life,” the duke continued: “On this Earth Day, I reflect on generations of conservation champions, including my late grandfather, and feel proud and energised to continue doing my part in this legacy.”

“This year especially, I join the incredible African Parks team and communities around the world in shared dedication to our environment and collective wellbeing,” Harry added.

The royal began working with the nonprofit organisation in 2016 for the 500 elephant initiative, during which he helped African Parks complete its relocation of 500 elephants in Malawi.

According to African Parks, the duke is currently assisting the organisation grow to 30 parks under management by 2030.

Prince Philip, who died on 9 April, was also a dedicated conservationist, having helped found the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 1961 and on numerous occasions, speaking publicly about the importance of protecting the planet’s wildlife.

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