Prince William is 'remarkably humble and approachable' despite life in the 'public eye'

Watch: Prince William makes a TED talk

Prince William is “remarkably humble and approachable” despite spending years in the public eye according to the global curator of TED talks.

Bruno Giussani praised the prince, after having several video calls with him and his team ahead of his talk which coincided with TED’s launch of their climate series.

In a blog about how the TED talk came about, Giussani said William, 38, was “remarkably humble and approachable for someone who has spent his whole life in the public eye”.

He added: “His constant focus on how to get things done gives the strong impression of someone who is very determined to make an impact on the world and will use all resources he has available to him to do it.

“He asks good questions and listens carefully to the answers.”

Giussani, who is looking after TED’s new Countdown series, also revealed the royal had been on their list for some time.

He said: “We had been thinking about inviting Prince William for a while, we were just waiting for the right opportunity. When a member of the TED community alerted us about the work the Duke’s team is doing on the Earthshot Prize and how it mapped onto the aims of Countdown, we felt that the moment had come.”

William’s talk was released over the weekend, after he announced details of the Earthshot Prize, the ambitious 10 year Nobel-style prize he is spearheading to encourage some optimism in the fight against climate change.

Five £1m prizes will be given out each year over the next 10 years, a total of £50m, to organisations, individuals, or even towns or countries, who are developing solutions to five of the key issues the world faces.

Read more: Shakira and Cate Blanchett join Prince William in earth-saving project

TED’s Countdown series is similarly aimed at positivity, bringing together “scientists, activists, entrepreneurs, urban planners, farmers” and more to come up with solutions for clean power, healthier food systems and protecting nature.

The Earthshot Prize is a strategic partner of TED’s Countdown series, and Giussani said the two projects were “complementary”.

In his talk, William said: “We start this new decade knowing that it is the most consequential period in history.

“The science is irrefutable.

“If we do not act in this decade, the damage that we have done will be irreversible and the effects felt not just by future generations, but by all of us alive today.”

William’s environmental credentials have been steadily growing over the last few years, and this project is likely to be one he becomes known for in the same way as The Prince’s Trust or the Duke of Edinburgh Award are associated with his father and grandfather.

Watch: Prince William tells Sir David Attenborough about the Earthshot Prize