Robert Irwin and girlfriend stun at Earthshot Prize
The wildlife warrior appeared all loved up as he happily posed on the green carpet in Singapore with his girlfriend.
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Robert Irwin and his girlfriend Rorie Buckey made a stunning entrance at the Earthshot Prize conservation awards in Singapore.
Irwin, 19, the son of the late wildlife warrior Steve Irwin, exuded elegance as he posed for the cameras in a black suit and tie. Buckey, also 19 and the niece of the late actor Heath Ledger, showed off her curves in a softly-coloured floral gown with frills.
The couple smiled and held hands as they arrived for the exclusive event.
Aussie actress Cate Blanchett, Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen and South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha were among the stars to walk down the green carpet.
Blanchett looked glamorous in a recycled lurex metallic brocade vest, a tailored jacket and wide-leg trousers in gold and silver from Stella McCartney.
She posed with Prince William ahead of taking to the stage to present an award.
The glitzy event was co-hosted by British actress Hannah Waddingham and American actor Sterling K. Brown at The Theatre at Mediacorp.
US singer Bebe Rexha, British indie-pop band Bastille, and US rock band OneRepublic were among the performers to take the stage.
Prince William honoured five environmental innovators with his Earthshot prize.
The Earthshot Prize initiative aims to support the development of solutions to the planet’s biggest problems, like climate change, deforestation and waste.
All five winners – selected by a panel of judges that included British naturalist and television presenter David Attenborough – were given one million pounds ($A1.9 million) each.
“I choose to believe that future generations will look back on this decade as the point at which we globally took collective action for our planet,” Prince William, Britain’s heir to the throne, told the gathering.
“The moment we refused to accept the voices of denial and defeatism and instead became the architects of change towards a healthy and sustainable world.”
Founded by the prince in 2020, the Earthshot Prize’s name was inspired by US president John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” project in the 1960s to put a man on the moon.
A winner is selected in each of the prize’s five categories out of 15 finalists, chosen from more than 1100 nominees.
This year, Accion Andina, a grassroots initiative working across South America to restore and protect forest ecosystems in the Andes Mountains, won the prize for “Protect and Restore Nature”.
Hong Kong-based company GRST picked up the “Clean Our Air” prize for developing a way to build and recycle lithium-ion batteries that pollute less and use more recyclable components.
The prize for “Build A Waste-Free World” went to S4S Technologies, which provides solar-powered dryers and food processing equipment to small-hold farmers in India to reduce crop wastage.
US non-profit organisation WildAid’s marine program won the “Revive Our Oceans” prize for its efforts to stop illegal fishing and boost ocean conservation.
Boomitra, a carbon-credit marketplace that rewards farmers for sustainable land management practices, received the “Fix Our Climate” prize.
Prince William arrived in Singapore on Sunday for a four-day trip that included dragon boating with a local team, a meeting with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and a summit for his charity United for Wildlife.
WILLIAM ADDRESSES KATE’S ABSENCE
The Prince of Wales has been a huge hit in Singapore, charming locals and officials during his environmental initiatives for the Earthshot Prize and the United for Wildlife Global Summit.
But Princess Catherine, also a keen environmentalist, is conspicuously absent on this trip, and her royal husband decided to address the matter.
During a speech on Monday at the Summit, Prince William apologised on behalf of his wife, addressing the Princess’s absence and sharing the real reason she has stayed behind in the UK.
“I’m delighted to be back in Singapore,” said Prince William, who last visited the South-East Asian country on an official Diamond Jubilee tour with Kate Middleton.
“It has been 11 years since Catherine and I enjoyed a memorable visit here on behalf of my late grandmother in her Diamond Jubilee Year,” the royal said.
“And I should mention that Catherine is very sorry she can’t be here … she is helping George through his first set of major exams,” the royal said, and he was greeted by laughter from the audience, according to Hello! magazine.
Prince William then continued with serious matters. “The focus of my visit this week is how we collectively overcome our planet’s greatest environmental challenges.”
“Like all initiatives created through the Royal Foundation, United for Wildlife and The Earthshot Prize are underpinned by finding innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues.”
The royal praised Singapore as “a hub for innovators and entrepreneurs” and slammed “criminals that trade rhino horn, tiger paws and pangolin scales,” saying they are “part of the same highly organised gangs that traffic drugs, arms and people.”
He concluded his speech by saying: “Compared to other global problems, stopping the illegal wildlife trade should be relatively straightforward.”
PRINCE WILLIAM’S SELFIE FRENZY
Prince William warmly greeted fans as he arrived in Singapore ahead of the Earthshot Prize.
Hundreds of people turned out waving Union Jacks and eager to take a selfie with the Royal, who beamed and obliged.
Princess Catherine did not accompany her husband on the trip, but rather stayed at home to support eldest son Prince George, 10, who has school exams.
The Prince of Wales was officially welcomed by ministers at Changi Airport and ceremonially switched on the world’s largest indoor waterfall, the HSBC Rain Vortex.
The Royal said it is “fantastic to be back in Singapore” after he arrived ahead of the Earthshot Prize ceremony later this week.
In a personal post on X featuring a waving hand and a green heart emoji, as well as locally filmed video, Prince William said: “Hello Singapore It’s fantastic to be back in Singapore for this year’s Earthshot Prize ceremony, after eleven years.
“Singapore’s bold vision to be a leader for environmental innovation sets the standard for others to follow.
👋 Hello Singapore 🇸🇬💚
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 5, 2023
It's fantastic to be back in Singapore for this year’s Earthshot Prize ceremony, after eleven years.
Singapore’s bold vision to be a leader for environmental innovation sets the standard for others to follow.
I am grateful to the Singaporean people for… pic.twitter.com/D2QBZAj71Y
“I am grateful to the Singaporean people for hosting us this week.
“Let us all take inspiration from the fantastic work being done here as we celebrate this year’s Earthshot Prize finalists. W”.
During his four-day trip to Singapore, the Prince of Wales will take part in Earthshot Week, meeting with past winners and current finalists.
It has been announced that the ceremony will feature some prominent names including Australians Robert Irwin and Cate Blanchett.
Sir David Attenborough, a member of Earthshot’s judging panel, will make a video appearance during the broadcast.
Launched by the Duke and The Royal Foundation in October 2020, The Earthshot Prize was inspired by US President John F. Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’ program in the 1960s, which urged millions of people to support the US space program.
This prize, however, targets five environmental goals: Protect and restore nature; Fix our climate; Clean our air; Revive our oceans; Build a waste-free world.
Among the 15 finalists are Australian company Sea Forest, which has developed a seaweed-based livestock feed to reduce methane emissions from cattle and sheep.
While in Singapore, Prince William will also take part in dragon boating, meet Singaporeans to learn how they are working locally to protect the environment, and attend a United for Wildlife summit, aimed at preventing the illegal trade in animal parts.
- with AFP
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