On a brisk October evening in London, the Natural History Museum buzzed with anticipation as King Charles and Prince William made a rare joint appearance, stepping into the spotlight for an event that signaled a new chapter in Britain’s climate diplomacy. The occasion—aptly titled 'Countdown to COP30: mobilising action for climate and nature'—marked six weeks until the world’s leaders gather in Belém, Brazil, for the pivotal COP30 UN Climate Change Conference. The father and son, both passionate environmental advocates, had not appeared together at the museum since 2019, making this a significant moment for royal watchers and climate campaigners alike.
The headline announcement of the evening, confirmed by Kensington Palace and reported by outlets including Sky News and the BBC, was that Prince William will represent King Charles at the COP30 summit on November 6, 2025. The prince is set to travel to Brazil earlier that week, first stopping in Rio de Janeiro for the Earthshot Prize Awards—his signature environmental initiative—before heading to Belém for the summit itself. The Earthshot Awards, which will be held on November 5, will see five winners receive £1 million each to help scale their innovative environmental solutions, a program that has already made its mark in the UK, USA, Singapore, and South Africa.
For King Charles, this transition is both personal and pragmatic. Long a champion of environmental causes, the King has delivered keynote speeches at previous COP conferences, most recently opening COP28 in Dubai in 2023 with a stirring reminder: "The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth." However, as monarch—and amid ongoing cancer treatment—his ability to attend such high-profile events has become more limited. According to The Mirror, Charles was forced to miss COP29 in Azerbaijan in 2024 due to his health, though his commitment to global climate action remains undimmed.
This year, the torch passes to Prince William, whose rising profile in international climate diplomacy is seen by many as a significant boost for the UK's presence at COP30. As The Guardian notes, William’s attendance is expected to draw global media attention and potentially encourage other leaders to commit to the summit. Solitaire Townsend, co-founder of the Futerra consultancy, observed, “Is Prince William attending Cop a stunt? Yes. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. Cop has long been as much about so-called ‘optics’ as it is negotiations. Prince William’s announcement will likely encourage other leaders to commit, and will have the global media sitting up to attention.”
The London event itself, co-hosted by the UK government and the Natural History Museum’s Dr. Doug Gurr, brought together a diverse mix of changemakers: environmentalists, scientists, business and finance leaders, diplomats, and politicians. Among the guests were Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband, and former Prime Minister Theresa May. The King and Prince William also met the Brazilian ambassador to the UK, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, and Minister of Health Alexandre Padilha, representing the COP30 host nation.
Dr. Doug Gurr, reflecting on the evening, declared, “We need everyone in society to get on board to tackle the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change. The collective commitment to act for the planet was palpable tonight—from the support of His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the leadership of the UK Government, to the school students who are striving to transform their school grounds, making them a haven for wildlife.”
Prince William’s role at COP30 will be more than ceremonial. He is expected to deliver a speech at the summit, marking his most significant foray yet into international climate negotiations. Earlier in 2025, he shared the stage with President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco, underscoring his growing influence in the field. As BBC News reported, royal sources described his attendance at COP30 as “stepping up to play an important role in climate diplomacy.”
The stakes for COP30 could hardly be higher. The summit, hosted in Belém—often called the “gateway to the Amazon”—will bring together representatives from more than 190 governments to hammer out fresh targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The urgency is palpable; the world remains “dreadfully far off track” regarding climate objectives, as King Charles warned in his Dubai address. Gareth Redmond-King of the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit told The Guardian, “All hands on deck—and any prominent, high-profile individual like the Prince of Wales, there helping make the case for the difficult job that needs doing, is almost certainly a good thing.”
Yet, the UK’s political leadership remains in flux regarding the summit. While Prince William’s involvement is confirmed, it is still undecided whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend, despite calls from international figures such as former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and former Irish president Mary Robinson. Ban Ki-moon was unequivocal: “World leaders must be in Belém for Cop30. Attendance is not a courtesy, it is a test of leadership. This is the moment to lock in stronger national commitments and the finance to deliver them, especially for adaptation.”
Back in London, the event provided a platform for showcasing innovative UK-led climate solutions, with Charles and William meeting business leaders supporting projects to protect forests and woodlands both at home and abroad. The evening also served as a reminder of the King’s enduring legacy in environmental advocacy. A forthcoming Amazon Prime documentary, provisionally titled Finding Harmony: A King's Vision, will chronicle Charles’s decades-long crusade to unite nature and humanity, debuting in early 2025. The King expressed his hopes for the film, stating, “Never has it been more important for the world to make a concerted effort to protect and prioritise our planet, and to restore our relationship with it.”
As the night drew to a close, an affectionate farewell between father and son underscored the personal dimension behind the royal family’s public commitment. With Prince William poised to take the stage in Brazil, the UK’s environmental leadership enters a new era—one that blends tradition with fresh energy, and signals a renewed determination to tackle the climate crisis on the world’s biggest stage.