Why Royal Fans Are Calling William And Catherine Hypocritical
The Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony took place last Friday in Boston. The climate change initiative was created by William, Prince of Wales himself. The glitzy ceremony, hosted alongside the John F. Kennedy Foundation, saw five winners each taking home $1 million for their efforts in fighting against climate change and propagating sustainable solutions to its various challenges (via People).
With sustainability in mind, the event itself was planned to reflect the values the awards ceremony celebrated — including by re-using last year's green carpet, per People, which will be recycled after this year's event too. The ceremony itself featured acres of regional trees and flowers that were grown within 100 miles of the MGM, where the show took place, according to the official site.
Likewise, all flora was recycled or donated. Flying was also kept to a minimum, with a sparse BBC crew brought in from across the pond, while locally-hired crew members were asked to take the train, per Town & Country magazine. In addition, guests at the ceremony were shuttled around in electric and hybrid vehicles and were served either a vegetarian or vegan meal once inside.
Even the lightbulbs at the event were LED battery-powered, while single-use plastics were completely prohibited. Elsewhere, Princess Catherine stunned in bright green at the Earthshot Awards, in a rented dress no less, paired with the late Princess Diana's decadent emerald and diamond necklace (via Buzzfeed). Despite their best efforts, though, William and Kate weren't immune from criticism.
Twitter users pointed out the disconnect with the ceremony's message
The Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony hosted many high-profile celebrities who presented awards, performed, and attended the event, from its hosts, television presenter Clara Amfo and actor Daniel Dae Kim, to Oscar winner Rami Malek, soccer superstar David Beckham, pop stars Chloe and Halle Bailey, and even the famous voice of "Blue Planet," Sir David Attenborough. The prize winners, however, were notably not in attendance, as reported by The Mirror.
As a result, Twitter users pointed out the disconnect between the celebrity lifestyle and the values of sustainability being espoused on the night. "Please explain how flying in 5 Earthshot prize recipients would have a bigger carbon footprint than flying in as many celebrities as you can find, to lend glitz to an evening supposedly dedicated to saving the planet?" one wrote. Another user noted, "What's the carbon footprint for picking up this award for the biggest hypocrites?"
Referencing Kate Middleton's chic look, one commenter contended: "So rented dress & vegan menu offset the carbon waste from staging the event in Boston? REALLY? This isn't an environmental non-profit, it's a public relations stunt made to look like one." The royal couple faced criticism about the location of the event earlier this year when it was first announced, per Yahoo! Life. While some commentators speculated that the Prince and Princess of Wales might use their US trip to repair the royal image the opposite appears to have occurred instead.