Prince William launches ride across Africa
Prince William yesterday launched a cycle expedition to raise thousands of pounds for animal conservation in Africa. The Cycle of Life team aims to travel more than 5000 miles across Africa and raise £500,000 for the Tusk Trust, of which the Prince is Patron.
The Trust is a UK-based wildlife conservation charity that plans to use the funds to alleviate rural poverty in Africa without threatening environmental sustainability.
The mission will also involve Prince Harry’s charity Centrepoint. Clarence House explained :
“The link up between Tusk Trust and Centrepoint was made possible because of the Princes’ Charities Forum, which was established two years ago to discover how the charities that Prince William and Prince Harry are patron of can work together, where appropriate, to discover mutual benefits.”
This expedition is probably the reality behind an earlier story that the two Princes were going to ride motorcycles down the length of Africa in the manner of a recent television programme.
That always seemed far-fetched, like a plan dreamed up over a few drinks only to prove unworkable later.
are they are a break from the military???
By coni on April 1st, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Harry’s on holiday in Africa and William appears to have had the day off, Coni.
By John on April 1st, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Do I gather that the princes won’t participate in the actual ride, but that their connection will increase the visibility of this endeavor?
By Evelyn on April 1st, 2008 at 4:36 pm
That’s it, Evelyn. They wisely got others to do the riding for them.
By John on April 1st, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Prince Harry isn’t the Patron of Centrepoint, Prince William is. Both of the charities participating in the Cycle of Life are charities for which Prince William is the Patron.
Prince William became the Patron of both the Tusk Trust and Centrepoint in 2005.
By mapleleaf on April 1st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Yep, it’s Sentebale that’s involved too.
By John on April 1st, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Perhaps Harry will join at some leg of the journe since he is already in Africa…
I read that Prince William will graduate from RAF this coming week and that Prince Charles will be there. I wonder if Kate will be there too. What do you think John?
By Madelaine on April 1st, 2008 at 8:36 pm
kate was at his sandhurst graduation so i cant imagine she wouldnt be there
By coni on April 1st, 2008 at 9:13 pm
I don’t think Kate will miss seeing her future hubby get his wings. It will be a great event.
By Claudius on April 1st, 2008 at 9:35 pm
So now that William is getting his wings this week how much time off will he get?. I think it would be right if he flew to Africa and joined in the race part of the way. One day in and out then let the media have pictures without compromising his security.
By Trudie on April 1st, 2008 at 10:58 pm
John (and everyone) please forgive me if my previous post sounded rude.
I think it’s wonderful that Prince William and Prince Harry have formed a Charities Forum together! I hadn’t heard of their Charities Forum until John put the information into his article.
I’ve read some information about it on the Prince of Wales.gov website, and it says that the Charities Forum has existed for 2 years. I wonder why Clarence House didn’t mention it sooner? It’s a really innovative idea on the part of William and Harry.
What I was trying to say in my earlier post (and said badly) is that I read the information available about the Cycle of Life expedition on the princeofwales.gov website, and Sentebale is not involved in the Cycle project. Only the Tusk Trust and Centrepoint charities are involved in the Cycle project, and William is the Patron of both of those charities.
However, that shouldn’t stop either Prince from getting on a bicycle and helping the team to raise money for charity by cycling through Africa! The entire trek will take 4 months. Maybe William and Harry could both ride for one day?
I’m definitely hoping that there will be even more collaboration of charities since the princes have created this joint charities forum together. I imagine that they are joint Patrons of their new City Select charity through their Charities Forum.
By mapleleaf on April 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 am
I would like to see both princes riding a motorcycle in Africa. Of course, the whole trip would not be possible, but at least a day or two. I’m sure this will bring more credibility to everything and everyone. How about Harry and Chelsy in the same ride? Those will be nice pictures.
By Marilyn on April 2nd, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Hello! magazine is reporting that Prince Harry has returned to the UK.
By Evelyn on April 2nd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Marilyn, the trip is being done on bicycles and not motorcycles, but I totally agree with your idea. William and Harry could each ride a bicycle in Africa for at least one day, couldn’t they? Maybe not until William completes his secondment with the RAF in May (he will continue with the RAF for a month after his graduation)
But the cycle trip is 4 months long, it won’t end until August. That’s plenty of time for the princes to choose a day, and fly to Africa and ride bicycles for a day or two.
By mapleleaf on April 2nd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I must say that I find this adventure quite beguiling! For one thing, it is for charity and for another, there is something quite touching about the two Princes being Royal Patrons for this endeavor. It touches the romantic side of my personality. More than any other place on earth, Africa, and especially the children of Africa, cry out in need and remain in peril to disease, hunger and exploitation. To see the two Royal Princes respond with compassion to these children is in the best tradition of Princess Diana, and, indeed, the British Nation.
By Gigi on April 2nd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
John, if I may move off-topic, we have an Argentina Alert! In a move that is both ill-advised and smacks of gunboat mentality, the female President of Argentina has thrown down the gauntlet. Will the Queen’s Champion stoop to pick it up? Are we to go to war yet again over the Falkland Islands?
By Gigi on April 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Gigi, I haven’t heard this news about Argentina as I’ve been immersed in end-of-year accounts. Do you have details?
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Matt Drudge published and article yesterday, John, with a photograph of the female (you will note I did not say lady) President of Argentina, saying that she had given a speech during which she had boldly and viciferously asserted Argentina’s sovereign rights to the Falklands. I do not know how to do the link for you, but go to Drudge Report on the web, as the article is still there.
By Gigi on April 3rd, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I think that’s standard for Argentinian politicians to reserve their position on the Falklands. I doubt it signals a new invasion though, despite Drudge’s reputation.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 5:06 pm
That is a relief, although if she thinks she is being presidential by threatening like a dockside bully, she is very much mistaken. I just don’t think Britain can fight a war on three fronts simultaneously, which is why it worried me. There are just enough troops, fuel and war materiel to supply the fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Falklands might be the straw that broke the camel’s back, as the saying goes.
By Gigi on April 3rd, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Well, we’ve got around 11,000 troops in the Middle East, but we sent over 40,000 to the original invasion of Iraq. I guess there are some in reserve. But it would be very poor policy if we had to fight the same war over again.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 5:20 pm