Prince William has been celebrating. Over the weekend, the Prince celebrated his 44th birthday and Father’s Day, with both landing on the same date. The heir to the throne spent the weekend surrounded by family and well-wishers across the UK, where he remains one of the royal family’s most popular members. Despite the political chaos triggered by Prime Minister Keir Starmer‘s resignation, William hasn’t skipped a beat. He returned to his official duties at a business forum for one of his signature causes, rubbing shoulders with Hollywood stars Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch.
The Prince of Wales joined the actors at a forum organized by United for Wildlife, an initiative William founded in 2013 with the Royal Foundation. The organization tackles wildlife trafficking and environmental crime across every continent while supporting the people on the frontlines of conservation, from park rangers in Africa and Scotland to indigenous communities throughout South America. The gathering brought together global leaders from business and tech, all committed to protecting endangered species and fighting environmental crime.
During his remarks, Prince William, a passionate environmental advocate, opened up about wrestling with climate anxiety. “I’ve had sleepless nights,” he said, worrying over climate change and what the future holds. But he’s found solace in the work being done. “Seeing that some of the things we’re doing are actually making a difference has kept my environmental anxiety at bay,” he continued.
He also challenged companies to be braver and reflected on leadership with candor: “I think you need to be the leader you wanted to be as a child. Look back at how you were as a kid, at what you wanted to see in the world, and bring those values into your role as CEO. Specifically around technology and innovation. We’re witnessing massive change in that space.”
The forum kicked off London Climate Action Week, which will feature other royal involvements, including the Earthshot Prize assembly.
What Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch had to say
Emma Watson, one of the most popular faces of her generation due to her work with the “Harry Potter” franchise, has long been a prominent activist. “The fashion industry actually produces more emissions than aviation, making it the second most polluting industry after oil. But as someone who genuinely loves fashion and it plays an important role in what I do, it’s exciting because this is a huge area where we can really make an impact,” she said.
The actress, who balances her acting career while pursuing a doctorate in philosophy at Oxford, also shared a funny anecdote about the time she thought paparazzi were tailing her. She spotted a bunch of guys with telephoto lenses and sent someone to distract them so she could slip out another door. Turns out, they weren’t waiting for her at all; they were trying to photograph a red kite.
Benedict Cumberbatch called the Prince “a great guy” and made his own pitch during the panel: “We need to show everyone in this room and everyone outside it, the people they work with, that they can make a difference at a moment when the challenges seem absolutely overwhelming.” He is committed to environmental conservation and recently participated in a documentary on the subject.
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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