Prince William heckled by protestors during last day of Cape Town visit
On the final day of his visit to Cape Town, Prince William found himself unexpectedly at the centre of a tense moment when a couple of protesters began shouting and holding up placards during an official engagement.
But the Prince carried on with his engagement, joined by stars Heidi Klum, Winnie Harlow and Billy Porter as he learned about sustainable fishing in Kalk Bay.
William arrived at the harbour on a boat, having met with a sea rescue workers earlier in the day at Simon's Town Harbour. The Prince was greeted warmly by large, cheering crowds as he arrived in Kalk Bay, with many waving South African flags in a show of support.
The royal embarked on an impromptu walkabout, shaking hands with dozens of locals and sharing his gratitude for the time he had spent in South Africa. "It's been the most amazing few days," he told the crowd. "I really don't want to leave."
However, the mood shifted when a pair of protesters and began to raise their voices, with one bystander shouting: "Go home, you're not welcome." Another held up a sign with the words: "William, you have no sovereignty in this country."
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It marked the first time protesters had appeared during his visit. Carol Byss from Cape Town told HELLO!: "We love the whole royal family, we're so proud he's here.
"There's a time and a place, we’re so blessed to have him. To cause a scene like this is a shock. We’re so thrilled he’s here and he’s leaving today. He's got enough to worry about, we think."
Meanwhile, some of the local fishermen and women said they all were angry because they were not included in the engagement. William met the 2023 Earthshot finalist, Abalobi, during his time on the harbour.
Duwayne Baulse, who has been a fisherman for 15 years since he left school, said afterwards: “They aren’t based here and they don’t buy our fish. People only come here when it is sunny. We are here in the rain and storms.
"They have excluded us. William has not come to look at our fish. No one told us the Prince was coming. Abalobi don’t support us. This is our harbour.
“We are not angry with him (William). We want people to come here more often. Not this set up."
Despite the protests, the Prince remained composed, showing his deep appreciation for the warmth of the South African people as he prepared to depart.
During the walkabout, William was presented with several beaded key rings, specially made by Kate Wardle, 46, from Kalk Bay. She handed him two in the shape of the letters W and C, along with three animal-shaped ones for his children.
As he continued to interact with the crowd, the Prince shared his affection for Cape Town: "I love this place. It’s been such an amazing week here - I’ve really enjoyed it, and I don’t want to go!" He added: "My children would love to be here, and so would Catherine."
Earlier in the day, William met volunteers working for the National Seas Rescue Institute (NSRI) to hear about their lifesaving work and asked what inspired them to get involved.
Before donning a life jacket and heading out with the crew, he asked how choppy the water was and joked that he should possibly be wearing more kit so he did not get wet.
Prince William also revealed that he was trying to teach his three children about rip tides and admitted he wished his family had been with him for the four-day trip. He was asked by a member of the crew if he had ever done search and rescue work, he replied: "I miss this life. Any chance to get back, I'll take."
"Thank you very much, they’ll love these," Prince William said with a smile. "Never go home empty-handed, that's important."
William staged his Earthshot Prize ceremony in Cape Town on Wednesday night and dubbed his environmental awards as a "movement for change" and called on the world to join.
He will end his four-day visit to South Africa by meeting seaweed businesses from the region to celebrate local innovation, learn about the diverse applications of seaweed in Africa and the potential for it to repair and regenerate the planet.
The royal event will follow a roundtable discussion hosted by the Global Seaweed Coalition and the Earthshot Prize earlier in the day, which will bring together policy makers, funders, NGOs, scientists, and UN member states.
