Prince William has declared Africa will always have a "special place in [his] heart".

The Prince Of Wales is embarking on a four-day visit to Cape Town next week to host the fourth Earthshot Prize ceremony and ahead of the trip - which marks his first to the continent in six years and his first time in South Africa since a 2010 joint tour with brother Prince Harry - the 42-year-old royal has reflected on his memories of previous stints there.

He said in a statement: “Africa has always held a special place in my heart – as somewhere I found comfort as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife and most recently as the founding inspiration behind the Earthshot Prize.

“It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realised the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature.”

William hopes his visit will help him shine a spotlight on those trying to change their communities and encouraged potential investors to look at funding the expansion of various environmental projects in Africa.

He added: “By the end of the week, I want The Earthshot Prize to have provided a platform to all those innovators bringing about change for their communities, encouraged potential investors to speed African solutions to scale and inspired young people across Africa who are engaged in climate issues.

"I firmly believe that if we come together with collective ambition and urgency, we can reshape the future of our planet.”

William - who has three children with wife Catherine, Princess of Wales - will unveil the five winners of the £1 million prize, as well as celebrating innovators from across the continent who are working to protect the planet for future generations.

The ceremony will take place on Wednesday (06.11.24) at a purpose-built reusable "eco dome" that was designed and engineered in South Africa and powered by renewable energy from a local wind farm.