The Prince of Wales visited the Oval cricket ground today as he continues to carry out engagements while his wife Kate recovers from abdominal surgery at home.
Prince William was at the stadium in South London to celebrate an Earthshot Prize winner’s new contract supplying sustainable packaging for use in sporting venues.
With the King stepping back from public duties while being treated for cancer, the heir to the throne has shouldered more of the burden of royal duties in recent weeks.
He has been juggling this with supporting Kate, who is not expected to return until after Easter, and helping care for their three children George, Charlotte and Louis.
Queen Camilla has led the royals at other events amid a sudden shortage of frontline family members – with Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie also helping out.
Earlier, Edward and Sophie were pictured carrying out their own royal duties as they met the Leeds Rhinos Women rugby league team at Headingley Stadium.
Today – William, who founded the Earthshot environmental prize to recognise and scale up projects to repair the planet, joined Pierre Paslier, co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Notpla, to hear about his company’s multi-million pound deal.
Prince William arrives at The Oval cricket ground today ahead of his Earthshot engagement
The Prince of Wales visits the Oval cricket ground on a royal engagement thisa afternoon
William at the Oval this afternoon to celebrate an Earthshot Prize winner’s new contract
William is at the Oval today to hear about the work done by an Earthshot Prize winner
Prince William arrives at The Oval cricket ground today ahead of his Earthshot engagement
The Prince is at The Oval this afternoon for an event linked to his Earthshot Prize
William at the Oval this afternoon to celebrate an Earthshot Prize winner’s new contract
The Prince of Wales visits the Oval cricket ground on a royal engagement thisa afternoon
Prince William arrives at The Oval cricket ground today ahead of his Earthshot engagement
William is at the Oval today to hear about the work done by an Earthshot Prize winner
Notpla’s seaweed-based products will be supplied to Levy, a leading sports and entertainment caterer, for use in more than 50 venues from the Oval to Wimbledon’s All England Lawn Tennis Club and London’s O2.
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The boxes will also be used at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff as well as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Twickenham Stadium in London.
William has been instrumental in helping support the relationship between Levy and Notpla, which in 2022 won the build a waste-free world Earthshot category.
Last autumn, Mr Paslier talked about the help they had received from William in making industry contacts after he helped them secure trials of their products at Premier League football clubs.
The new contract will see Levy using an expected 75million items of Notpla’s seaweed-based food packaging materials over the next three years, helping them to meet their ambitious climate targets.
Singapore staged the most recent Earthshot awards ceremony last November after prizegiving events were held in Boston in 2022 and London’s Alexandra Palace in 2021, with Cape Town named as this year’s host city.
As the Duke of Cornwall, William could be seen as the Oval’s landlord as the sporting venue is part of the Duchy of Cornwall, a portfolio of land, property and investments which provide an income for the Prince of Wales.
He will tour the cricket ground, meeting Surrey cricketers, training ahead of the start of the season, and ground staff who have created a special marquee which replicates the conditions of a summer’s day for practice sessions.
William at the Oval this afternoon to celebrate an Earthshot Prize winner’s new contract
The Prince of Wales visits the Oval cricket ground on a royal engagement thisa afternoon
Prince William arrives at The Oval cricket ground today ahead of his Earthshot engagement
The Prince is at The Oval this afternoon for an event linked to his Earthshot Prize
William at the Oval this afternoon to celebrate an Earthshot Prize winner’s new contract
The Prince of Wales visits the Oval cricket ground on a royal engagement thisa afternoon
Prince William arrives at The Oval cricket ground today ahead of his Earthshot engagement
William is at the Oval today to hear about the work done by an Earthshot Prize winner
The Prince is at The Oval this afternoon for an event linked to his Earthshot Prize
The Prince arrives at The Oval cricket ground today ahead of his Earthshot engagement
Prince William arrives at The Oval cricket ground today ahead of his Earthshot engagement
The Prince of Wales visits the Oval cricket ground on a royal engagement thisa afternoon
William at the Oval this afternoon to celebrate an Earthshot Prize winner’s new contract
The Prince is at The Oval this afternoon for an event linked to his Earthshot Prize
Prince William arrives at The Oval cricket ground today ahead of his Earthshot engagement
William at the Oval this afternoon to celebrate an Earthshot Prize winner’s new contract
Prince William arrives at The Oval cricket ground today ahead of his Earthshot engagement
Then on Monday next week, William will attend an event at immersive art venue Frameless in the Marble Arch area of London’s West End, celebrating The Earthshot Prize ‘Launchpad’ project.
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This is a new online matchmaking platform for Earthshot projects which can be accessed by investors and philanthropists looking to co-invest and collaborate on environmental ideas.
Kensington Palace said that since 2021, the Earthshot Prize has awarded £15million of prize money and the network has helped unlock £50million of support via its network, for the 45 winners and finalists.
Also on Monday, Camilla and William are to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service, joined by remaining members of the slimmed-down monarchy.
With the King and Kate away from public-facing duties, the rest of the institution’s working royals will gather in force at Westminster Abbey.
Camilla and William will be accompanied by Edward, Sophie and Anne along with the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.
A pre-recorded video message from Head of the Commonwealth, Charles, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, will be played during the service this year, Buckingham Palace said.
The annual celebration will draw on the theme of resilience – at a time when the royal family has faced a barrage of health troubles.
But the service will focus on stories of environmental resilience and marine sustainability, through performances representing the five regions of the Commonwealth.
Elsewhere today, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh visited Headingley Stadium in Leeds
Sophie and Edward meet members of the Leeds Rhinos Women Rugby League team today
William’s appearance at the televised event – a key part of the royal calendar – alongside Camilla comes after he pulled out of attending his godfather King Constantine of Greece’s memorial service last week at the last minute due to an undisclosed personal matter.
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Camilla will carry out a second engagement afterwards when she attends the annual Commonwealth Day Reception at Marlborough House in London, meeting foreign ministers, UK parliamentarians and High Commissioners.
Some 2,000 guests will head to the Abbey in London in honour of the Commonwealth network of 56 countries.
The congregation will include Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, the president of Malta, foreign ministers, high commissioners, senior politicians and dignitaries from across the Commonwealth, faith leaders, and school children and young people from throughout the UK.
Reflections will be given by Notpla, and writer Sir Ben Okri will read a specially commissioned poem for the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth.
Camilla will be met by the Dean of Westminster, with an all-female group of Indian Dhol drummers Eternal Taal performing at the Great West Door.
Musical performances will include singer Calum Scott and dance troupe The Ghetto Kids.
Members of the Royal Family will meet those involved in the service, including the Commonwealth Flag Bearers, at the end. The service will be broadcast live on BBC One.
William receives flowers for Kate from All Saints’ Primary School pupils in Wrexham last Friday
Kate was last seen at a royal event on Christmas Day 2023 with her family at Sandringham
Last week, the Prince of Wales was asked ‘William, how’s Catherine?’ during his visit to Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Ground to mark St David’s Day, but did not respond to the question.
Later, William thanked a group of schoolchildren for giving him a bouquet of flowers for Kate while visiting a school.
They gave him Welsh dragon toys for his three children – and then flowers for Kate. The Prince told them: ‘I’ll pass them onto Catherine as well, thank you very much.’
Also last week it emerged Buckingham Palace had considered plans for Camilla and Kate to hand out honours in a bid to spread the load of royal duties in a slimmed-down monarchy.
Meanwhile, Kate’s ‘black sheep’ uncle Gary Goldsmith – the brother of Carole – praised her as ‘perfect’ as he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house on Monday.