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Prince William Says He’s a ‘Stubborn Optimist’ in Candid New Interview with Cate Blanchett

Prince William just spilled the tea in a rare on-camera interview with Cate Blanchett.

This week, the Duke of Cambridge appeared on a podcast episode for Climate of Change, which is hosted by Blanchett and Danny Kennedy. During their recorded conversation, Prince William explained why he’s so passionate about the environment.

“Growing up, I was surrounded by kind of this adventure and this idea of exploring and being out in the garden,” he said. “I used to spend hours climbing trees, digging ditches and all sorts of things…I used to love being out in the wild and the wet.”

Prince William also credited his dad, Prince Charles, and his grandpa, Prince Philip, for introducing him to climate activism, adding, “And I think my grandfather and my father—both kind of having a deep passion and interest in this area for many years has sort of piqued my interest and curiosity.”

While his efforts only scratch the surface, Prince William revealed that he’s hopeful about the future of climate change. “To coin Christiana Figueres’s phrase, ‘stubborn optimist,’” he said. “I think is sort of where I'm feeling quite like I’m at the moment.”

He continued, “She’s given me a lot of hope that this can happen. And I believe it, and I’m seeing it with my own eyes. It’s everyone doing their own bit and helping and supporting what we’re trying to do. It’s all of us in it together.”

Prince William admitted that his number one goal is to raise awareness, saying, “I really do think it can be done in a much quicker time than we anticipate because the solutions are out there. There [are] real solutions to these problems.”

He added, “The more we speak about it, I do feel the more change will happen.”

The question is: Will Prince George take after his dad (and grandpa and great-grandpa)?

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Greta Heggeness

Senior Editor

Greta Heggeness is a California-based editor at PureWow and has been writing about entertainment since 2015. She covers everything from awards shows to exclusive celebrity...
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