Prince William and Emma Watson Team Up for Wildlife—But Meghan Markle Might Not Be Too Happy
The famous actress having minimized her film roles, now focuses on her work as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.
Prince William is an influential voice when it comes to advocating for global wildlife conservation, actively addressing environmental threats through initiatives such as The Earthshot Prize and United for Wildlife. Committed to supporting wildlife rangers, he strives to enhance their welfare and recognition through advocacy and his documentary series, Guardians. He aims for a comprehensive approach to biodiversity protection and sustainability for endangered species through his continuous efforts. In line with this, the Prince of Wales was busy performing his duties during his birthday weekend. He teamed up with A-list actors at a forum organized by The Royal Foundation for a noble cause, one of which was actress and activist Emma Watson.
Watson made a rare public appearance with Prince William and Benedict Cumberbatch at the United for Wildlife Business Forum in London. The event aimed to address the illegal wildlife trade and environmental protection during London Climate Action Week. Watson highlighted the importance of storytelling and transparency in engaging younger generations with climate issues. Having minimized her film roles, she now focuses on her work as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and sustainability efforts, sharing a professional connection with the future king through environmental advocacy. Though maintaining a good relationship with the Prince and Princess of Wales, Watson was rumored to share an awkward situation with Meghan Markle.
According to a biography by Tom Bower, Meghan Markle experienced a "mortifying" rejection from Watson, which he described in his 2022 book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors. Markle, who had long supported Watson’s HeForShe initiative, reportedly viewed the star as a hero and role model. Following an event in London where Watson spoke, Meghan allegedly requested a meeting, but the request was rebuffed by the actress. However, this incident was notably absent from the Duchess's own account of her UN-related work, which she documented on her former blog, The Tig. "'I was in London', she wrote, "to support Emma Watson in her HeForShe Initiative for UN Women." While she frequently praised Watson's advocacy and feminism, the biography claimed the personal snub went unmentioned in her writing. Despite this reported tension, the two icons did eventually appear at the same One Young World summit in Ottawa in October 2016.
Prince William and Watson have publicly met at least two times for charitable and environmental initiatives. Notable meetings include October 2021 at The Earthshot Prize ceremony, where Watson presented the "Fix Our Climate" award, and in 2014, at royal charity functions, including a May 2014 gala at Windsor Castle for The Royal Marsden Hospital. Meanwhile, Emmy-winning British actor Benedict Cumberbatch lauded the future king as "a great guy" and underlined the significance of showing people that they can make a difference in difficult times.
