The Prince and Princess of Wales have returned to work following their summer break, and have kicked off their first engagement of the Autumn by visiting the Natural History Museum. The royal couple will use the visit to highlight causes close to their hearts, including the importance of spending time in nature and finding new ways to save the planet from climate change.
Kate, who is patron of the London museum, and William will tour the newly transformed gardens and meet children and young people taking part in learning programmes that connect them with nature and boost biodiversity in urban areas. With school children from Lewisham, the royal couple will have the opportunity to take part in a pond dipping activity before joining young people from Manchester who have been creating new habitats on their school grounds through the National Education Nature Park programme.
This trailblazing education programme, led by the Museum working with the RHS and commissioned by the Department for Education, has seen more than 7,500 schools, colleges and nurseries getting involved so far, and is inspiring action in young people by developing their connection with nature.
When Kate visited the Museum in 2021, she heard about the early stages of the Urban Nature Project. At the time, work was underway to transform the Natural History Museum gardens into a cutting-edge research centre and outdoor classrooms.
Today’s visit marks Kate and William’s first joint engagement together since they attended the Men’s Singles Final at Wimbledon on July 13.
It focuses on key issues the couple have put at the centre of their work. Kate is keen to encourage more young people to spend time in nature, and is currently spearheading a video project, Mother Nature, to showcase nature’s capacity to inspire us.
In 2019, she launched the ‘Back to Nature’ garden at the Chelsea Flower Show to spotlight the power of nature in enriching early childhood development. The Princess has also had a longtime relationship with the Scouts which focuses on enabling children and young people to experience the outdoors and natural world.
William, meanwhile, is keen to spotlight environmental innovation through his Earthshot Prize. The annual award spotlights and celebrates innovative solutions from around the world which aim to tackle the biggest environmental challenges our planet faces.