by Ronnie Wood may have found a new Rolling Stones fan after he encouraged the Prince of Wales to see the band on tour at a conservation celebration in London.
Prince William and The Stones guitarist spoke on Monday at the 11th annual Tusk Conservation Awards, which recognize wildlife pioneers.
The band recently released their new album, Hackney Diamonds, and it seems the Prince took the opportunity to discuss the new music with Wood.
The musician, 76, said of their discussion: “We were talking about the tour and I said ‘Come on, you’ve got to come out on tour’ and we were talking about the new album and everything.
“William said (he would) if we could get Taylor Swift there.”
Wood said he told the Prince that Swift had previously sung with Sir Mick Jagger, to which William replied: “I’m there.”
He also joked about the age of the Rolling Stones, saying: “We had to talk about conservation – with an old band like ours.”
The awards, which take place at London’s Savoy Hotel, are organized by the Tusk Trust, of which the Prince has been a patron since 2005.
In his keynote address on Monday evening, William warned that there must be “no let-up” in collective efforts to stop the “horrendous” loss of species and habitats across Africa.
He also used his address to issue a reminder of the “disproportionate loss and damage from climate change” facing the continent.
“There must be no let-up in our collective efforts to stop the terrible loss of species and habitat we are all witnessing,” he said.
On Monday evening, the charity awarded three people for their conservation work, which has supported habitat protection and anti-poaching intervention in Africa for over thirty years.
Prince William presented the awards on stage to the winners Jealous Mpofu, Dr Ekwoge Abwe and Fanny Minesi.
He said the ceremony was “a rare moment to reflect on the remarkable achievements of our award winners and to acknowledge the challenges they face every day”.
‘Events like this put us on the way to achieving a global goal by 2030’
Prince William told conservationists at The Savoy Hotel in London that the rangers celebrated through the awards are “ecosystem custodians who work for the global community”.
He said that these people “have the enormous responsibility of overseeing these vast areas of land and water – areas that are vital to the future of life on earth”.
The Prince added that the protection of these natural habitats in Africa “will put us on the path to achieving the global goal of protecting 30 percent of all land, oceans and inland waters by 2030”.
Before taking his seat at The Savoy reception, the Prince took part in a reception upstairs, where he spoke to Rolling Stones legend Wood and Emma Weymouth, Marchioness of Bath.
Wood, who attended with his wife Sally, said they also discussed the life-size gorillas they had painted for the cause – which have raised more than £100,000 in sales – before showing them to William.
The future king helped launch the annual Tusk ceremony in 2013 to recognize the work of those trying to protect some of Africa’s most iconic animals and habitats.
As a Royal patron, he has been a long-standing supporter of the charity’s efforts for nearly two decades.
The awards aim to highlight the stories of conservation leaders and wildlife rangers across the continent so that their work can be amplified.
Since the first event in 2013, the awards have now recognized 55 conservation leaders from 20 countries.
“Evenings like these provide the vital impetus to effect positive change,” said William, adding: “Today’s winners are joined by an impressive alumni, made up of the most influential, passionate and committed conservationists in Africa.”
Athene St.John, spokeswoman for the Nick Maughan Foundation which sponsors the awards and funds wildlife conservation projects across Africa, said: “The Tusk Awards are synonymous with modern, community-led wildlife conservation.
“For rangers like this evening’s award winner, Jealous Mpofu, who will be presented with the honor by the Prince of Wales, some of the world’s most important biodiversity projects will be given attention when they were no longer needed.”
During his keynote speech, William added that Tusk’s ceremony is also a reminder that “those living in Africa only absorb a quarter of the emissions of the average global citizen”.
“But the African continent is set to experience disproportionate loss and damage due to climate change.”
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