During his royal visit to Ghana in November last year, Prince Charles admitted that he has some worries about what lies ahead for the future royal baby, and all babies, due to environmental issues such as plastic pollution. The Prince, who had learned he would be a grandfather again the month before, warned that future generations will face a "completely polluted, damaged and destroyed world" unless action is taken – as well as speaking openly about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's upcoming arrival. According to the Daily Telegraph, Charles said: "I am about to have another grandchild actually. I suspect quite a few of you may too have grandchildren or will do soon."
Meghan and Harry will become parents in the next month
He added: "It does seem to me insanity if we are going to bequeath this completely polluted, damaged and destroyed world to them. All grandchildren deserve a better future." During the meeting, where he discussed tackling plastic pollution with government officials and business leaders, he also made a speech on the issue.
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Calling for a fundamental change in how products are recycled, he said: "It is becoming evident that not following such an approach has disastrous consequences, as is witnessed by the fact that 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, that soon there will be one tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish in the sea, and that the dead zones in the ocean, now numbering over 400, are continuing to grow."
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His comments came after Princes William and Harry opened up about their childhood with their environmentalist father, telling documentary Prince, Son And Heir: Charles At 70 that he would often take them litter-picking as teenagers.
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"We were in Norfolk on school holidays, and we went out litter-picking with him," said William. "And again, both of us thought, 'Well this is perfectly normal, everyone must do it'. We were there with our spikes, stabbing the rubbish into black plastic bags." They were also shown archive footage of Charles making a speech on plastic pollution as early as 1970 – showing it's an issue that the Prince has long been passionate about.
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