Prince William Honors ‘Much-Missed Grandmother’ Queen Elizabeth II in 1st Speech Since Her Death

usmagazine.com:

A moving tribute. Prince William honored his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in a speech at the United for Wildlife Global Summit.“Our natural world is one of our greatest assets,” the Prince of Wales, 40, began on Tuesday, October 4, in London. “It is a lesson I learned from a young age, from my father and my grandfather, both committed naturalists in their own right, and also from my much-missed grandmother, who cared so much for the natural world.”The Duke of Cambridge continued: “In times of loss, it is a comfort to honor those we miss through the work we do.

And I take great comfort then from the progress we are making to end the illegal wildlife trade.”The occasion marked William’s first speech since the queen’s death at age 96 on September 8, as well as his first speech as the Prince of Wales.

The Duke of Cornwall inherited the title from King Charles III after his father, 73, acceded to the throne of England.The former military pilot founded United for Wildlife in 2014 with The Royal Foundation, with the goal of protecting animals from the illegal wildlife trade.“There are still too many criminals who believe they can act with impunity,” the prince said on Tuesday. “I call on all of you here today, those involved in United for Wildlife and further afield, keep breaking the mold.

Keep building bridges and making those game-changing connections. Keep believing that this is a crime that can be ended once and for all.”Last month, William was scheduled to speak at the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York City, but he canceled his appearance following the death of Elizabeth.