Prince William slams space tourists as William Shatner takes all-expenses-paid trip into space

Prince William had some harsh words for the space tourism industry following William Shatner’s trip into space, urging entrepreneurs to focus on climate change and invest in the Earth instead.

• Prince William has urged entrepreneurs to invest in the Earth rather than other planets in response to the worsening climate crisis. 
• The Duke of Cambridge's honest comments were made in light of William Shatner's free trip into space with Blue Origin on Wednesday. 
• In other royal news, Buckingham Palace could be destroyed by floods, warn climate scientists.
  

Prince William has no time for space travel—and he's not afraid to admit it. 

Speaking to BBC’s Newcast this week, the Duke of Cambridge shared his candid opinion on space tourism in light of the Canadian actor’s 10-minute-long journey into space on Wednesday. At 90, Shatner became the oldest person to take off from Earth in a rocket, surpassing the previous title holder of 82-year-old Wally Funk. The journey has garnered widespread attention from both the media and the public, with many astrophiles celebrating the exciting display of space technology. 

However, not everyone is impressed with the high-profile cosmic voyage. Prince William has dismissed the hype surrounding the Star Trek alum’s trip, highlighting the importance of investing in our native planet rather than exploring foreign ones. 

While Shatner did not pay for the flight—he traveled as a guest with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin—his ticket would have likely cost somewhere between $200,000 to $300,000. 

Prince William implied that this money could be spent more wisely, explaining that we need to be “trying to repair the planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.” His statements come shortly after he issued an emotional climate change plea about the importance of protecting the environment, a cause he has championed with the launch of his historic Earthshot Prize. 

“It would be an absolute disaster if [Prince] George is sat here talking (about the climate emergency),” he added. 

Prince William also revealed he had "absolutely no interest" in going into space himself, adding that people must take into account the carbon footprint of rocket launches.

He went on to discuss his father and late grandfather’s efforts to combat the climate crisis, crediting Prince Charles in particular for addressing the issue at a time when it wasn't so topical. “He’s had a really rough ride on that,” William admitted. “He’s been proven to be well ahead of the curve.” 

Prince Charles inherited his passion for the planet from his dad Prince Philip, prioritizing environmental advocacy as high on his list of priorities at an early stage in his career as a working royal. He has spoken about the issue numerous times, even delivering a passionate speech on sustainability at Highgrove earlier this year. He has also launched a conscious fashion collection with Net-a-Porter and opened a virtual climate change festival called It’s Time.