Prince William attends Earthshot Prize event
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The gist
Prince William appeared as a surprise guest on an Earthshot Prize edition of The Graham Norton Show.
The push builds awareness for the 2026 Earthshot awards in Mumbai.
Background
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, founded the Earthshot Prize in 2020, inspired by US President John F. Kennedy's Moonshot project. The environmental award covers five goals — Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World and Fix Our Climate — with each winner receiving £1 million. The project is halfway through its cycle and has already been staged in London, Singapore, Cape Town, Boston and Rio de Janeiro. William said he started it because stories about the environment were dominated by 'negativity and doom', and he wanted something 'more optimistic'.
How it unfolded
- 2020Prince William set up the Earthshot Prize, inspired by John F. Kennedy's Moonshot project.
- 2021The first Earthshot Prize ceremony was held.
- 2023Hannah Waddingham hosted the Earthshot Prize Awards in Singapore.
- Oct 13, 2026William took part in a cricket-themed Earthshot celebration on The Mall near Buckingham Palace with Joe Root, Sourav Ganguly and Brian Lara.
- Oct 22, 2026William appeared as a surprise guest on an Earthshot Prize edition of The Graham Norton Show alongside Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham.
- Oct 23, 2026Reports on the appearance were published; the episode was due to air at 22.40 on Friday on BBC One.
- Nov 17, 2026This year's Earthshot Prize winners will be announced at an event in Mumbai, with the Children's Earthshot Awards Ceremony at the Museum of Solutions.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- William said he wanted to counter environmental 'negativity and doom' with something 'more powerful and more optimistic', and that people protecting the environment should be honored.
- Expert
- Earthshot Prize Council member Cate Blanchett described the Prize as a 'tapestry of solutions'.
- Support
- Global ambassador Robert Irwin said the prize has helped build a new generation of environmental advocates, and that William 'cares very, very deeply' and 'uses his platform to unite people'.