Prince Harry and Prince William have led tributes to legendary conversationist Jane Goodall
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The royal family have paid tribute to the legendary conservationist Jane Goodall, whose death was announced on Wednesday, 1 October. She was aged 91. Renowned across the globe for her work with chimpanzees, Goodall often rubbed shoulders with royalty, and in the wake of her passing, Prince William and Prince Harry have led the outpouring of public celebration of her career.
The Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle issued a statement mourning the death of their ‘friend’, revealing that their relationship was so heartfelt that Dr Goodall had once ‘held our son’. ‘Dr Jane Goodall DBE was a visionary humanitarian, scientist, friend to the planet, and friend to us,’ Harry and Meghan wrote, per PEOPLE.
‘Her commitment to changing lives extends beyond what the world saw, and also to what we personally felt,’ the Duke and Duchess added. ‘She held our son, Archie, when he was first born, and showered love and care to those who were privileged to know her. She will be deeply missed.’
The meeting between the conversationist and the Sussexes was one of several, and likely took place in 2019, when Prince Harry interviewed Dr Goodall for the September issue of Vogue magazine. It was a candid conversation, with the royal revealing that he and Meghan had chosen to only have two children in order to help conserve the planet’s resources.