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.