Prince William's countdown to Earthshot Prize: Royal meets 15 finalists at iconic Cape Town landmark ahead of prestigious awards ceremony

Prince William kicked off the countdown to his prestigious Earthshot Prize environmental awards amid the beauty of Cape Town's world-famous Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden this morning.

The future king enjoyed a meet and greet with the 15 2024 finalists at the foot of iconic Table Mountain.

William, 42, had been keen to hear about their experience of the Earthshot Prize Fellowship Programme, and their outlook ahead of this evening's awards ceremony.

He was met and accompanied through the gardens by Werner Voigt, the garden director.

The fourth annual Earthshot Prize awards will boast the world's longest ever 'Green Carpet' coming in at a colossal 121ft (37m).

It will be held in a reusable eco 'super dome' in the city's Green Point areas.

It will be hosted by award-winning Hollywood star Billy Porter and television presenter Bonang Matheb.

Model and television host Heidi Klum and supermodel Winnie Harlow will be among the guest award presenters.

The awards will go out live across Africa and available to view in the UK on BBC iPlayer.

Aarrivals on the famous walkway will also be live-streamed via the Earthshot Prize's YouTube channel, with hosts Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and Moozlie.

Five winners are chosen from five 'Earthshots': Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World and Fix Our Climate.

This year's entrants range from a company which has developed sustainable refrigeration to another that removes harmful carbon dioxide from the ocean, and one that uses palm oil waste to make a sustainable leather alternative.

Each winner receives a staggering £1million in prize money to help develop and scale-up their idea and as well access to a global network of mentors.

The event will be opened by composer and singer Lebo M, performing Circle Of Life from The Lion King in a pre-recorded performance from the top of Table Mountain.

The Earthshot Prize's green carpet has been a fixture since William first staged the awards ceremony three years ago in London , followed by Boston in December 2022 and Singapore in November 2023.

Guests have been asked to 'rewear' their wardrobe or spotlight African designers to highlight the importance of local talent and sustainable fashion.

Hannah Jones, Earthshot chief executive, said: 'Unlike most prizes, we don't give awards to people for what they have already achieved. We award for the future potential of their solutions.'

The concept was devised by William and his team after the prince expressed his frustration at the level of 'pessimism and despair' around the environment and climate crisis.

He decided to highlight and expand positive and innovative solutions to the problem: Earthshot, 'the most ambitious environmental prize in history'.

This year's event is said to 'go above and beyond' anything he has done before.

A year-long Fellowship Programme will provide wrap-around support provided to all fifteen Finalists, providing mentorship, resources and technical support, helping to accelerate the growth of each groundbreaking solution.

This includes access to the Prize's robust network of some of the world's largest businesses, philanthropists, investors and environmental organisations committed to climate action.