Prince William has spoken of his "much-missed grandmother" as he delivered his first speech since being bestowed with his new title Prince of Wales.
William, who is now heir to the throne following the death of the Queen, addressed the United for Wildlife (UfW) global summit at the Science Museum in London. In his keynote speech – on a topic he has long campaigned on – William warned that illegal wildlife crime is destroying too many lives and pushing too many species towards extinction. William, 40, said: "I'm delighted you could all join us today. It’s heartening to see so many familiar faces whilst welcoming many new ones as well.
"You being here is a testament to how far United for Wildlife has grown.
"Our natural world is one of our greatest assets. It is a lesson I learnt from a young age, from my father and my grandfather, both committed naturalists in their own right, and also from my much-missed grandmother, who cared so much for the natural world.
"In times of loss, it is a comfort to honour those we miss through the work we do.
"I take great comfort, then, from the progress we are making to end the illegal wildlife trade."
Observers will likely see William's speech as him setting out his continued commitment to campaigning on the issue of wildlife crime in his new role as Prince of Wales.
In July, William paid tribute to "committed and brave" ranger Anton Mzimba, who was reportedly shot and killed outside his home.
William called for those responsible for the death of the conservationist, who worked in South Africa, to be "swiftly brought to justice".
Mr Mzimba was head of ranger services at Timbavati private game reserve in north-east South Africa, near the Kruger National Park.
He spoke to William via video link last autumn when the royal visited a technology company to learn about a new device to combat ivory smugglers.
Ahead of his speech on Tuesday, William met Altin Gysman from the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), who was a friend and colleague of Mr Mzimba.
William described the death as a "shocking moment" and referred to rangers being "on the front line".
He said the last statistic he had heard was that in the last 10 years more than 1,000 rangers have lost their lives on the continent of Africa protecting wildlife and communities.
Later in his speech, William said: "The devastating news about Ranger Anton Mzimba is shocking confirmation of how vicious the illegal wildlife trade is.
"Anton dedicated himself to the protection of wildlife, undertaking his role diligently and professionally despite threats to his life.
"He stood up to violent criminals and paid the ultimate price. It is only right that we pay tribute to him and all the other selfless rangers and frontline conservationists here today.
"And it is also only right that we honour him by continuing our work with renewed focus and vigour."
