It’s no secret that the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are animal lovers. The couple adopted two Jack Russell dogs, Bluebell and Beth, in 2012. Now, the future King and Queen Consort have welcomed a few more not-so-furry friends to one of their houses.
WATCH: The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall welcome three baby hedgehogs to the Dumfries house
Over the weekend, the @clarencehouse Instagram revealed that three baby hedgehogs have been rescued and welcomed the Queen Elizabeth Walled Gardens residing at Prince Charles’ Dumfries house.
“The new additions aim to enrich biodiversity on the estate, whilst allowing the hedgehogs to enjoy a more natural setting,” the post read.
It continued, “The 4-month-old hedgehogs have taken up residence, having been nursed back to a healthy weight by volunteers at @hessilheadwildliferescue centre.”
“Special hedgehog houses have been built by Prince’s Foundation volunteer, Tom Anderson to make the new residents more comfortable. The customised houses were made by upcycling timber found on the Dumfries House estate.”
But, rescuing and rehousing hedgehogs is just the latest of the future King’s environmental work.
In 2018, the Dumfries house – saved by the Prince of Wales in 2007 – joined Charles’ Prince’s Foundation, an amalgamation of four charities designed to create harmonious communities, particularly, according to The Prince’s Foundation website, “through championing a sustainable approach to how we live our lives and build our homes.”
And the Prince of Wales’ environmental activism has certainly not skipped any generations, with the Prince’s son, William, being highly vocal about the importance of creating a sustainable future.
During the new ITV documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All, the Duke of Cambridge revealed just how important sustainability is to him – particularly when it comes to his little royals.
“I’ve always loved nature,” the 38-year-old admitted in the promo, “but fatherhood has given me a new sense of purpose.”
“Now I’ve got George, Charlotte and now Louis in my life, your outlook on life does change. You want to hand over the wildlife in a much better condition,” the Prince added.
In October of this year, the Duke of Cambridge joined forces with Sir David Attenborough to launch the ‘Earthshot Prize’ in an attempt to repair the planet – focusing on nature, air, oceans, waste and climate – over the next ten years.
During a video announcing the project, the Prince confessed that he was worried about the future of the planet for his children.
“I can’t be hugely optimistic and pleased that my children are getting so into nature because you kind of worry and dread that they’re soon going to realise that we’re in a very, very dangerous and difficult time in the environment,” the Prince admitted.
The future King then emphasised the importance of taking care of the planet for future generations, stating, “I think every parent, every one, wants to do the best for their children and I think we have to have a decade of change, a decade of repairing the planet, so that we can hand it on to the next generation and future generations and sustain the prosperity for their lives too.”
It is clear that nature-loving Charles has successfully passed the environmental baton to his son and, from the looks of it, the younger Prince will be more than willing to hand it over to his little royals when the times comes.
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