Prince William Makes Bold Plea in Monaco as He Steps Up on the World Stage

Prince William made a high-profile solo appearance in Monaco on June 8, underscoring his growing role as a global statesman.

On the eve of World Oceans Day, Prince William took his environmental mission global — delivering a high-profile speech in Monaco alongside world leaders and fellow royals to address the urgent threat to marine life.

Appearing at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum on June 8, the Prince of Wales, 42, joined the Heads of State and Government session, speaking in front of French President Emmanuel Macron, Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, and Prince Albert of Monaco, whose Gimaldi Forum venue was hosting the event.

In his speech, William called for urgent action, saying, “We come together today united by our deep connection to the ocean and our concern for its safety. For many of us, it is a place where some of our happiest memories are made… where we have explored the wonders of the natural world… and we have all relied on its great abundance for our food and livelihoods.

“And yet, all too often, it can feel distant and disconnected from our everyday lives, allowing us to forget just how vital it is,” he added. “The truth is that healthy oceans are essential to all life on earth.”

The event marked a key moment in the lead-up to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and underlined William’s rising diplomatic profile on the international stage.

The appearance comes as King Charles continues treatment for cancer, with William increasingly stepping into the spotlight. Like his father, the Prince of Wales is a longtime conservationist and passionate advocate for the environment, making ocean protection a natural fit for his growing global platform.

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With oceans covering 70% of Earth’s surface, generating half of its oxygen and feeding over 3 billion people, William emphasized that protecting marine biodiversity is not a niche issue — it’s a global imperative. Yet only 3% of the ocean is currently protected, far from the goal to safeguard 30% of land and sea by 2030.

For the prince, optimism that something can be done — and is underway — is just as important as highlighting the threats to the marine environment.

His decade-long Earthshot Prize, which will next take place in Rio de Janeiro, aims to spotlight and scale practical environmental solutions — and several past finalists joined him in Monaco to share their progress.

Among them was Coral Vita, the 2021 Earthshot winner for its work restoring coral reefs by growing coral on land and replanting it in the ocean. The organization has cultivated more than 100,000 corals across 52 species. Pristine Seas, also a 2021 finalist, has since helped protect three vast marine areas — totaling a region the size of Germany — in partnership with Indigenous communities and governments.

The Monaco appearance came just a day after Kensington Palace released a short film of William’s recent conversation with legendary conservationist Sir David Attenborough, who returns this month with a new documentary, Ocean with David Attenborough. At 99, the famed broadcaster continues to inspire action — and his exchange with William adds another layer to the prince’s growing role in elevating environmental voices and solutions.

As William builds toward the fifth year of Earthshot, his efforts show a deepening commitment not just to raising awareness — but to pushing policy, funding and innovation toward a sustainable future for the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems.