The Princess of Wales will not travel to South East Asia in November for the final of The Earthshot Prize, according to reports.
Despite previous speculation suggesting the contrary, Kate Middleton, 41, ‘is not expected to accompany’ William, 41, to Singapore, the destination of the third annual awards ceremony for the Prince’s environmental prize, says the Telegraph.
William founded the awards in 2020, saying he wanted to turn ‘current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism by celebrating the people and places driving change’.
Every year between 2021 and 2030, an awards ceremony will honour winners in the prize’s five categories who are creating innovations which tackle environmental issues. Each winner is given £1million to support and scale their work.
Following the Wales’ decision not to undertake a foreign tour this year, Kate’s presence is not to be expected, it is believed, and so she will not attend the ceremony which is also set to feature performances by world-renowned musicians and artists.
The Princess of Wales (pictured) is not expected to attend the Earthshot Prize award ceremony in Singapore, according to the Telegraph
No specific reason has been confirmed for why Kate is not expected to attend, but some have speculated that it may be due to her parenting duties.
It marks a change from last year, when Kate travelled to Boston for the ceremony.
The royal presented an award, while donning a rented lime green Solace London dress from fashion platform HURR.
The Sabrina frock, by Solace London, cost £74 a night to rent. It was described by the platform as a ‘floor length modern gown featuring an exaggerated neckline’.
It boasted a ‘body conscious fit’, and a concealed closure belt to define the waist, as well as the brand’s signature high kick split.
She accessorised the look with an emerald choker that had previously been worn by Princess Diana.
The necklace, which was gifted to Queen Mary in 1911 by the Ladies of India, was given to Diana by Queen Elizabeth, on lifetime loan.
Before guests arrived at the gala, they were reportedly given eco-friendly advice and rules to follow, with attendees encouraged to ‘consider their clothing’ for the occasion and opt for ensembles that can be re-used or have already been purchased second-hand.
The exact reasoning why Kate is not attending the event with William (right) is not yet known, however it could be a result of parental duties
Kate donned a green floor length stretch crepe knit gown hired from rental platform HURR as attended the event with her husband Prince William last year
Travel plans for guests were also given environmental updates: with all transportation being used with Boston being electric or hybrid and any ‘unavoidable’ flights that were taken have been ‘recorded and the CO2e impacts calculated and balanced’.
Upon their arrival at the event, it is thought that guests were treated to a host of ecologically-minded measures, from the plant-focused décor to the vegan and vegetarian-only catering options.
Instead of a red carpet for the stars to walk down, a green carpet was used – and it was recycled afterwards.
The entryway and the event itself featured over three acres of plants, including New England-grown evergreen and deciduous trees- ‘all native and grown locally,’ according to Earthshot’s new CEO Hannah Jones, formerly Nike’s first chief sustainability officer.
The stars’ hotel were also walking distance from the venue and everyone was encouraged to either use the tram or take a fleet of electrically-powered and hybrid taxis.
As part of her ‘green’ outfit at last year’s ceremony, Kate (right) donned a green and diamond emerald choker once owned by her mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales (left)
Last year, guests were encouraged to opt for more eco-friendly choices when it came to their outfits, from renting or rewearing clothing, instead of buying something new
Even the make-up used was largely vegan and certified cruelty-free, while the food being served to stars and crew was plant-based – and there is a ban on single-used plastics.
Announcing the destination of the Earthshot Prize ceremony in May this year, Prince William said: ‘The Earthshot Prize is all about showing the world that solutions to some of the biggest environmental challenges we face are out there.
‘After two years of discovering impactful ideas and innovations, I am delighted that The Earthshot Prize is travelling to Singapore, where the ground-breaking solutions of our 2023 Finalists will be celebrated.’
William has said that Earthshot was inspired by John F Kennedy’s Moonshot programme which challenged America to put man on the moon and helped launch the Moon landing in 1969.
Last year’s winners included a British start-up, Notpla, which uses seaweed to make packaging.