News Review: A Royal Cause

Prince William and Princess Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were here in the US and I got to meet them!!!! Well I didn't get to actually talk to them... or see them at all....but they were in the same region of the country as I am so that kind of counts, right? No? Whatever. Anyway, the royal couple was in New York City for a few days in early December. Now, what does this have to do with this blog? Part of their visit was to campaign against illegal wildlife trade.

On the balcony of Buckingham Palace, right after their wedding, April 29th, 2011.

A Bit About Them

Will and Kate, as most people casually call them, have proven to be one of the most influential celebrity couples of our age. Third in line to the throne of England, and son of the late beloved Princess Diana, Prince William has always been in the spotlight. The media has eaten up his fairy-tale romance with Kate Middleton, and millions of people around the world tuned in to watch their wedding in 2011. Since then, they've had a son, George, and are now expecting another child. They can be found around the world in newspapers, magazines, and social media, promoting many different charity organizations. 

Picture from www.dailymail.co.uk

Prince William and the War on Wildlife Trade


I mentioned in an earlier post that Prince William is the patron of the Tusk Trust, that focuses on the ivory trade.  They also work to promote education and support communities in Africa, so definitely check them out, donate, or simply follow them on Twitter. 

Another organization I did not talk about previously is United for Wildlife. The description on its website reads: 
"United for Wildlife was created by The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Led by the Duke of Cambridge it has brought together the world’s leading wildlife charities under a common purpose; to create a global movement for change. Whilst animals continue to be killed by criminals, whilst whole species are hunted to extinction, we will join together to ask one simple question: Whose side are you on?"
In other words, this organization brings together several other organizations, namely: Willdife Conservation Society, WWF, ZSL,The Nature Conservancy, IUCN, Flora and Fauna International, and Conservation International. They have a lot of FANTASTIC events and information on their webpage, so check it out! And like them on Facebook! You can even send an "elegram" to help baby elephants! How cute is that? 

Poke

Speech at the World Bank

On December 8th, Prince William made a speech at the World Bank on the illegal wildlife trade: 

"Corruption remains one of the most persistent and damaging impediments to the alleviation of poverty and, I believe, one of the most insidious forms of corruption in the world today is the illegal wildlife trade."

I certainly recommend watching his whole speech here- I really enjoyed it, and he made some great points. For example, the illegal wildlife trade is a threat to international security, and can promote the spread of disease. It has also greatly increased in the past decade, worth an estimated $20 billion a year, and is far more destructive than many people think it is. Wildlife trade is connected with illegal drug, weapon, and human trafficking, with "alarming implications" for global security. He also made this sad claim: some endangered species are worth literally more than their weight in gold. 

Prince William is basically the Harvey Dent of wildlife crime
(before the whole Phantom of the Opera-style injury)

I definitely can't hide the fact that I'm a huge fan of the royals for their efforts to make the world a better place. Prince William's campaign against illegal wildlife trade is, in my eyes, extremely important in uniting international organizations and really making a difference in the world. 

Here are a few more links about the royals' NYC visit from Tusk Trust, Daily Mail, and USA Today.

Thanks for reading everyone, and in the British spirit, cheerio! 

"Hahaha...but seriously, you still owe us tea."