Prince William Attends Tusk Conservation Awards Without Duchess Kate
This evening, the Duke of Cambridge is attending an event in the city: the Tusk Conservation Awards.
Launched in 2013, the annual Tusk Conservation Awards celebrate the achievements of extraordinary people, whose work protecting Africa’s natural heritage might otherwise go unnoticed outside their fields.
It’s a special night for Prince William, who became Royal Patron of Tusk in December 2005. The organization likely holds a special place in William’s heart as Princess Diana was a patron of the Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage, an organization similar to the Tusk Trust that rescues and cares for orphaned, abandoned, and sick wild animals.
The Duke of Cambridge arrives at the Tusk Awards at BFI Southbank in London. pic.twitter.com/ASzH8AXTTC
— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) November 22, 2021
“[My mother, Diana] would come back [from Africa] with all these stories and full of excitement and just passion for what she’d been doing,” William said in a 2013 interview with CNN.
“I applaud her for all her dedication and drive in doing that. And it was that I think, that infectious enthusiasm and the energy that she had that really rubbed off on me.”
William, who is the royal patron of Tusk, said: “These awards, which mean a great deal to me personally, play a huge part in our mission to preserve Africa’s precious wildlife for its people.
“It is vital that we recognize the dedication of these unsung heroes and the bravery of rangers risking their lives, day and night, on conservation’s frontline.
“We all owe them a huge debt of gratitude.”
Last year, The Tusk Conservation Awards were presented at a virtual ceremony attended by Prince William. He spoke via video call from Kensington Palace to nominees of the Tusk Award, a prize awarded to an individual who is judged to be an emerging leader in conservation.
Just, like the previous two years, Prince William is attending the event solo. Kate has previously accompanied William to the awards in 2018 and 2013. In 2019, she was forced to miss the glittery event because one of their children was thought to be ill and they couldn’t organize childcare.