Britain’s new King Charles III. is a committed environmentalist with a long history of campaigning for better conservation, organic farming and tackling climate change, which is likely to resonate with more environmentally conscious younger Brits.
Interspersed with photos from official meetings and other royal duties, his Instagram account as Prince of Wales typically featured images showing his commitment to the environment in Britain and beyond.
They planted trees, displayed organic fruit and vegetables from his residence at Clarence House and colorful flowers growing in the garden at his beloved Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, West England.
One photo even showed Charles – who has now passed the title of Prince of Wales to his son and heir William – visiting endangered mangrove swamps in St Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean.
When the UK hosted the COP26 climate summit in Scotland last year, he delivered the opening remarks, urging leaders sitting before him to redouble their efforts to tackle global warming and warning: “Time is literally up.”
Since his first major public speech on the subject in 1970, Charles “has been raising awareness of all aspects of the environment for a long time,” said Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
“In many ways he was ahead of the public and political consciousness,” he told AFP.
– Sustainability –
At Highgrove, Charles has created a public garden and a fully organic farm.
It initially left some neighboring farmers skeptical, but gradually grew into a successful business, selling its produce under the ‘Duchy Organic’ brand in the Waitrose upscale supermarket chain.
“His Royal Highness has personally taken many steps to live more sustainably,” reads his official website for his tenure as Prince of Wales.
It found that about 90 percent of energy for office and household use now comes from renewable sources, with about half of that coming from on-site renewable sources such as solar panels, biomass boilers and heat pumps, and the remainder from electricity and gas from renewable sources.
For several years, Charles has published its annual carbon footprint – including unofficial travel – which amounted to 445 tons in the year ended March 2022.
His car, an Aston Martin he has owned for over 50 years, has been converted to run on surplus English white wine and whey from cheese making.
It runs on a mixture of 85 percent bioethanol and 15 percent unleaded petrol.
The monarch has been president of animal rights group WWF-UK since 2011, emulating his late father Prince Philip, who held the same role from 1981 to 1996.
He is also a patron of several other organizations, such as Surfers Against Sewage, and has given numerous speeches warning of the disappearance of biodiversity.
Most recently, in April, he wrote – and graced the cover of – Newsweek magazine entitled “Our Children Judge Us”.
– Sensitive –
His vocal stances on issues such as the environment have drawn some criticism that he is deviating from constitutional norms that require the royal family to remain politically neutral at all times.
Charles has repeatedly vowed to remain true to constitutional practices, only this week when he ascended the throne.
But he may not view environmental and conservation concerns as overtly political.
“He would be very sensitive as a head of state,” Ward predicted.
“He has to be very careful if you see him acting in a way that could be seen as pressuring the government. But I don’t expect him to say anything at all.”
Ruby Wright, a 42-year-old illustrator who came to Buckingham Palace to pay her respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, said on Friday that she hoped “he’ll stick to his guns”.
“I think he needs to be more humble and really push the environmental agenda and make that his legacy,” she told AFP.
“I know he’s not allowed to be political at all, but that’s not politics. This is the future of humanity.”
Laura Beirne, a 30-year-old fashion designer, agreed. “I think it’s positive that he cares about the environment. That’s important, I think, for my generation.”
As king, he will have less time for his passions for gardening and farming. He admitted in a 1986 interview that he talked to plants, which drew some ridicule.
But the baton has already passed to his son William, who shares his commitment to the environment.
Last year, William created the Earthshot Prize, which rewards projects that propose solutions to the climate crisis.
