Emma Watson is stepping out for a good cause.
The Harry Potter alum, 36, was photographed with Prince William and Benedict Cumberbatch, CBE, along with host June Sarpong, OBE, as the trio attended and spoke at a business forum for The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife as part of London Climate Action Week.
At the event, Watson joined Cumberbatch and Prince William for “a conversation about the natural world and our shared responsibility to protect it,” according to an Instagram caption shared by United for Wildlife.
“Storytelling is really powerful, and the story that you tell as a brand, and the transparency you have and the way that you talk around these issues, it matters,” Watson said while onstage.
“It matters to young people,” the actress and activist added.
Watson previously supported the 44-year-old Prince of Wales’ Earthshot Prize while presenting the “Fix Our Climate” award at the inaugural ceremony in London in 2021.
The Earthshot Prize sees winners in five categories take home $1.4 million to support their efforts, and is set to run for a decade. It finds and celebrates those who turn bold ideas into solutions for our planet, according to its official website.
While onstage at the business forum, which aims to promote climate leadership, the Renais co-founder recalled a funny moment during her Harry Potter days when she thought a group of photographers was trying to get a shot of her, but were actually trying to capture nature instead.
Watson, who notably portrayed Hermione Granger in the film franchise, told the audience she remembered seeing “all these men outside with very long lenses” from her living room.
“And I thought, ‘Today’s the day. It’s happened, oh my goodness,’ ” she said. “So, [someone] went outside to address them and their long lenses and I snuck out to go another way, and it turned out that the men with the long lenses were actually not there for me, at all.”
The Perks of Being a Wallflower alum explained how the mix-up came about.
“They were there for a very rare bird, which is called a red kite. And they were trying to, basically, break into my back garden because they thought that one of these red kites was in our backyard,” she said.
In between film roles, Watson has often used her platform to advocate for multiple causes, including climate action and gender equality.
She was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in July 2014, and subsequently helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, which urges men to advocate for gender equality.
Additionally, she partnered with Time’s Up to help fund a legal advice hotline for women in the U.K. experiencing workplace sexual harassment in 2019.
“Understanding what your rights are, how you can assert them and the choices you have if you’ve experienced harassment is such a vital part of creating safe workplaces for everyone,” she said in a statement at the time. “This advice line is such a huge development in ensuring that all women are supported, wherever we work.”
Unexpected Team-Up: Prince William and Emma Watson Unite for Change
Prince William had plenty to celebrate this weekend, but his latest public appearance quickly turned heads for a very different reason. After marking his 44th birthday and Father's Day with his family, the future king returned to royal duties—and made a surprisingly personal confession about the emotional toll of climate change.
William joined Hollywood stars Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch at a United for Wildlife forum in London, an initiative he launched with the Royal Foundation in 2013. The organization works around the world to combat wildlife trafficking, environmental crime, and the destruction of endangered species.
But it was William's candid admission about his own fears that stole the spotlight.
The Prince of Wales revealed that climate change has caused him "sleepless nights," admitting he has struggled with anxiety about what the future could look like. Yet instead of allowing those fears to overwhelm him, William said seeing real progress through conservation efforts has helped keep his environmental anxiety under control.
He also delivered a powerful message to business leaders, urging them to become the kind of leaders they admired when they were children. With technology and innovation transforming the world at an incredible pace, William challenged CEOs to use their influence to create meaningful change.
The event launched London Climate Action Week, with more royal appearances expected, including the Earthshot Prize assembly.
Emma Watson also delivered a surprising revelation of her own. The Harry Potter star highlighted the fashion industry's enormous environmental impact, pointing out that it produces more emissions than aviation and ranks behind only oil among major polluting industries.
Watson, who is also pursuing a doctorate in philosophy at Oxford, shared a hilarious story about mistakenly believing paparazzi were following her. After spotting photographers with telephoto lenses, she arranged a distraction and escaped through another exit. The twist? They weren't photographing her at all. They were waiting to capture a red kite.
Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch praised William as "a great guy" and urged businesses and individuals to recognize that they can still make a difference, even when global environmental challenges appear overwhelming.
With William, Watson, and Cumberbatch joining forces on the issue, the London forum delivered a clear message: the fight against environmental destruction is becoming impossible for the world's biggest names to ignore.
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