Duke and Duchess of Sussex urge fans to 'save the planet'

1 July 2019

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have called for action to "save the planet".

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Each month, the royal couple use their Instagram account to follow a select group of people involved with a particular cause or initiative and for July, the pair - who have eight-week-old son Archie together - are backing those who are working to protect the environment.

Harry said: "Environmental damage has been treated as a necessary by-product of economic growth.

"So deeply ingrained is this thinking that it has been considered part of the natural order that humankind's development comes at the expense of our planet.

"Only now are we starting to notice and understand the damage that we've been causing.

"With nearly 7.7 billion people inhabiting this Earth, every choice, every footprint, every action makes a difference."

The royal couple have followed the likes of Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old environmental activist who began protesting outside the Swedish parliament about the need for immediate action to combat climate change when she was 15 - as well as the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF), a charity set up by the Hollywood star in 1998 in an effort to combat climate change.

The couple shared a collage of images showing protesters, a landfill site full of plastic bottles and pictures of animals in their natural habitats.

They captioned the post: "As a continuation of our monthly social awareness approach to shine a light on the accounts that are working towards positive change, for the month of July we turn our attention to the environment.

"There is a ticking clock to protect our planet - with climate change, the deterioration of our natural resources, endangerment of sacred wildlife, the impact of plastics and microplastics, and fossil fuel emissions, we are jeopardising this beautiful place we call home - for ourselves and for future generations. Let's save it. Let's do our part."