Prince William, Yao and Beckham

Prince William, Yao and Beckham

Britain's Prince William appears in a video with David Beckham urging people not to support the trade in rhino horn.

The 31-year-old royal and the retired soccer star are seen alongside former NBA basketball player, Yao Ming, in the WildAid message to protect rhinos, sharks and elephants for future generations.

The trio filmed the video in London in September 2013, which has been posted on YouTube today (13.02.14), and shows them dressed in suits walking out onto a pitch in a football stadium full of rhinos.

David says: "Imagine if all the people in the world could fit into one stadium", with William adding, "Sadly, all the wild rhinos in the world can, with room to spare. For some species, it's almost too late."

Appealing to viewers, Yao then says: "But we can fill this stadium and many more, if we can stop the illegal trade."

David adds: "Ask your friends and family never to buy rhino horn."

The film is part of WildAid's demand reduction campaign and the Royal Foundation's United for Wildlife Collaboration.

William also teamed up with David and Yao to appeal to Chinese parents to save wild animals in a video message in December.

In a separate video, actor Jackie Chan warns viewers that buying rhino horn supports the dark side of the trade.

He says: "You're paying for guns, bullets, poisoned arrows, chainsaws, axes, and machetes to hack off the face of the rhino. And you are paying for the life of a beautiful creature."

This month, William is campaigning with his father, Prince Charles, against the illegal wildlife trade and has spoken at a number of events in London.