Prince William reveals Prince Louis’s musical talents at Tusk awards

A rock ‘n’ roll prince? Stranger things have happened, and judging by Prince William’s confession at Wednesday evening’s Tusk Conservation Awards, perhaps someday Prince Louis may be a drummer.

The royal, who is patron of Tusk and has attended the awards ceremony nearly every year since its inception, was making small talk with two rock legends—Ronnie Wood of Rolling Stones and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits—and revealed that his youngest is currently learning the drums.

The two musicians were on hand to support the Tusk Conservation Awards and William joked that there was enough talent in the room to start a new band.

“My youngest is learning the drums, that’s why I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears,” William added.

He later invoked his children during his keynote speech, which praised Tusk and its activists for their work in conservation. The future king said “We live in a world in which incredible wildlife exists and I want that for the generations that follow.

“I want my children to live in a world where swallows still migrate, gorillas still live in the cloud forests of Uganda and rhinos still roam the arid rangelands of Namibia.

“It will be thanks to extraordinary leaders such as those that we are celebrating today that this will happen.”

The Tusk Conservation Awards reward those who dedicate themselves to helping conserve Africa’s nature and wildlife. There are three awards: The Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa, The Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa, and The Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award; all support some facet of conservation work.

In his speech, William said that the winners should be seen as leaders and “should guide and inspire us all to drive change. They remind us of the importance of living at peace with nature.”

He added: “Tonight is a reminder that our planet continues to face terrifying environmental concerns, from climate change and habitat destruction to the exploitation of natural resources and an alarming downward trend in global biodiversity.

“Rainforests the size of countries are disappearing. And one million species are at risk of extinction, mostly due to human activity.

“Now is the time to support those globally that work to prevent future generations from becoming disconnected from nature, we must invest in the natural world around us and understand the value it has for us all, both now and in the future.”