Prince William made a really good impression on the curator of the TED Talks' Countdown series, Bruno Giussani. He said that the royal is so "humble and approachable" despite growing up under the royal spotlight.
The global curator revealed that his team had several video calls to Prince William before he confirmed his very first TED Talks appearance. They saw his focus and determination to make an impact for his upcoming speech by asking good questions and listening carefully.
Guissani said that they've been considering the Duke of Cambridge for a TED Talks appearance for some time. The right opportunity came when William had to tell the world about his Earthshot Prize initiative, which had the same goals as the Countdown series.
On Oct. 10, the Countdown series released Prince William's TED Talks, where he announced his plan to reward a Nobel-style prize to those with effective ideas to fight climate change. Earthshot Prize will span 10 years where, every year, five innovative individuals, groups or communities could get a chance to win a million British pounds for their ideas.
Guissani also shared that Prince William's TED Talks was prepared by collaborators on both their side and the royal's side. Because of his very important position and the topic at hand, they had to draft and frame the ideas well so that it could effectively get across the target audience.
The curator revealed that William had the final say on what can be kept or edited out in his TED Talks, which was directed by renowed documentary producer Alastair Fothergrill in the grounds of Windsor Castle. However, anyone watching William's speech will feel his genuine care for nature.
According to royal biographer Nigel Cawthorne, William's initiative is "closely aligned" to the philosophy of his mother, Princess Diana, to do something good for the world. Just like the Princess of Wales, William is advocating for something that will benefit the world while steering clear from politics.
Before her death in 1997, Princess Diana said in a speech that her "interests are humanitarian" and she has no desire to be a political figure. Cawthorne observed the same thing in Prince William.
While the Duke of Cambridge is taking on a hot political issue like climate change, he's careful to sidestep the political agenda as well. The royal author said he has no doubt his mother will be proud of her first-born son.
Prince William's Earthshot Prize and TED Talks came out a week after his documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All, aired on ITV. The feature contained two years of his work in conservation and fighting illegal wildlife trade.
