The Prince of Wales has personally asked Ardern to fill in at the Earthshot Prize innovation summit while he continues a private period of mourning with the royal family following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Ardern gave a message of “encouragement” on William’s behalf. She paid tribute to the late Queen in her speech and said the world needed to face the challenge of climate change with the same “vigor and longevity” as the Queen. “He is someone who was focused, dedicated and showed what can be achieved when you show grit and longevity,” Ms Ardern said. She introduced herself as a “global leader on climate change” who had “dedicated her life to building a better world”. The New Zealand leader described herself as an “extremely poor replacement” for Prince William at The Earthshot Summit.
