Prince William moves onto the world stage
Want to burnish your leadership credentials? Go to New York when the UN General Assembly is meeting.
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Prince William’s quick two-day trip to New York City makes perfect sense for a man looking to burnish his credentials as a statesman. This week, everyone who is anyone is in the city for the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. There are so many dignitaries, advocates, activists, and philanthropists that only those with the highest of profiles get coverage — and that means being an important politician or having a great idea.
In 2019, it was teen activist Greta Thunberg who electrified everyone with her passionate call for climate action. This year could be Prince William’s turn.
He’s already very popular in the United States. This summer, Gallup asked Americans for their views of 15 prominent figures. Prince William was the most popular. He had a 59 percent favourable rating, compared to his father, King Charles III, who was fourth with 45 percent, and Russian President Vladimir Putin who came in last with five percent.
Interestingly, Gallup notes that William is liked across the political spectrum — he is favoured by 65 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of Democrats. Though Gallup notes that some of his popularity can be attributed to memories of his mother (which is reflected in the fact that 69 percent of American women like him compared to half of men), it also states, “William has been in the news in his own right for his charitable work, focused primarily on the environment and homelessness.” And its his environmental efforts that brought him to the United States.
His Earthshot Prize is gaining traction for its concept of awarding five $1 million awards each year for solutions that will “have the most significant impact” in five specific areas, ranging from cleaning the air to building a waste-free future. The objective is simple: “The prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism by championing inspiring leadership and helping to scale incredible cutting-edge solutions.” This isn’t a permanent scheme, but rather one that will last just one decade.
On Tuesday, September 19, William hosted the second annual Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, which brought together the great and the good to “address the world’s most crucial environmental challenges.” Nothing was left to chance; every detail was designed to draw attention to the summit. As he arrived on a commercial flight from London on Monday, his royal social media accounts posted a message:
It’s so good to be back in United States. No one does optimism and ingenuity like the American people, so it’s only right we unveil this year's Earthshot finalists in New York City. Eighty years ago, the world came together in this great city to find a new way, through the UN, to solve our shared challenges. I know our generation can take the bold action we need to make changes towards a healthy and sustainable world. The challenge may feel huge, but as John F Kennedy taught us, we rise to the challenge not because it is easy, but because it is hard. And vital.
Soon, images emerged of him visiting an Earthshot-worthy non-profit called the Billion Oyster Project, which is protecting and restoring local oyster reefs in the city’s harbour, which in turn protects the city from storm damage and filters pollutants. Even his jacket is made of environmentally sustainable fabric.
Then, William threw on a suit and tie to meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres. That meeting with the top UN diplomat was “one better” than when Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, met with Guterres’s deputy, Amina Mohammed, noted Jack Royston, chief royal correspondent of Newsweek.
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