Royals go green: Which members of the Royal Family are living sustainably? - And how you can too

• Royals go green in a bid to live more sustainably as saving the planet has never been so urgent.
• As brands, celebrities, and the general public are all beginning to turn towards sustainable options, the Royal Family are no exception as we look at who is making big steps towards a greener way of living.
• In other royal news (opens in new tab), Prince Harry and the Royal Family reportedly plan to keep in touch over Zoom this Christmas (opens in new tab)

As royals go green in a bid to live a life that is less impactful on the environment - from nifty electric cars to eco-activism and sustainable wardrobes, we look at which of our royals are leading the movement and how we can emulate their efforts in our own lives...

The Duchess of Cambridge

Kate Middleton is famed for always looking classy and fashionable. In the words of one Guardian fashion editor, “her clothes show respect, bring an emotional warmth that strengthens historic and strategic bonds, and send a positive message about the country and family she represents.” Ever since marrying into the royal family, she has presented herself with true grace, and now she is using her coveted wardrobe to champion sustainable fashion brands.

Aside from choosing affordable high street brands (opens in new tab), Kate’s high-end designer choices always favour the sustainable, and she is often seeing looking fabulous in Alexander McQueen and Temperley London garments. However, she has also been seen wearing lesser-known sustainable brands such as Faithful and Beulah. The latter of the two is a brand that sets out to fight modern slavery and empower vulnerable women. 

Not only does Duchess Kate use her influence to champion sustainable brands, but she also doesn’t shy away from revisiting her wardrobe at Kensington Palace (opens in new tab) and re-wearing garments that she has already been seen in. This may seem normal to most of us, but for a royal, outfit repeating is a powerful statement! 

Earlier this year she wore a red Catherine Walker Coat with velvet detailing that she also donned at Christmas Day services in 2018.

Considering the fashion industry is the world’s second largest polluter after the oil industry, boosting the popularity of sustainable fashion could not be more important. The Duchess of Cambridge’s choices encourage the rest of us to choose investment pieces over fast fashion, whether that be reducing our waste by investing in a luxury Fulton umbrella (opens in new tab) like the royals, re-styling an old dress rather than buying one new, or shopping at pioneering sustainable brands.  

The Prince of Wales

Over the years, even in lockdown, Prince Charles (opens in new tab) has regularly been involved with community initiatives and scientific bodies as well as developing his own sustainability projects. Each of his projects has focussed on remedying environmental damage and finding sustainable ways to save the planet’s natural resources. 

His projects include the Prince’s Rainforest Project, Accounting for Sustainability, the International Sustainability Unit, and Project Start. On top of this, Prince Charles has been involved with planning homes in communities with an environmental focus, while updating his own homes and cars to make sure that they are more eco-friendly (such as the solar panels installed in Clarence House (opens in new tab))

Prince Charles was also the first member of the royal family to opt for an electric car, a Jaguar I-PACE to be precise. Not only did this purchase make his journeys much greener, but it set a precedent both for the general public and the other royals. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex soon followed his lead in 2019 before quitting the UK to make Santa Barbara their home earlier this year.

Queen Elizabeth II 

Each member of the royal family seems to have chosen their own area of sustainability to champion. For Queen Elizabeth II, that area is forests. After the launch of the Queens Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) in 2015, all 53 countries in the Commonwealth family have united together in a pledge to help save some of the planet’s most precious natural habitats. 

The result was the launch of a network of forest conservation projects, helping to conserve indigenous forests for generations to come. The QCC prioritises five key objectives: 

• To raise awareness of the value of indigenous forests 
• To create a chain of forest conservation projects that unite commonwealth countries 
• To demonstrate the Commonwealth’s capacity to promote change in our forests 
• To facilitate knowledge about what the best strategy is to achieve forest conservation 
• To create a lasting legacy of the Queen’s leadership of the Commonwealth 

In recent news, it was announced that Bermuda has now joined the QCC. As of March 2020, Bermuda chose to contribute towards the incredible biodiversity that the Walsingham Nature Reserve QCC project strives to accomplish.

And you can sign up to Plant A Tree with the National Trust (opens in new tab) to help create green spaces for everyone.

From involvement in charities to eco-tourism, it’s clear that sustainability is more important to the royal family than ever before. 

With more and more high-profile, influential people putting the wellbeing of our planet at the top of their priorities, the future looks brighter and far more sustainable!