Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
The Prince of Wales made a visit to an Earthshot prize finalist and surprised them with a question no one was expecting.
Prince William asked experts at NatureMetrics whether they could help find the Loch Ness monster.
Whether the heir to the throne is convinced that Nessie is actually real wasn’t revealed but the legend of the Loch figured large in a fun filled visit.
The future king certainly seemed to enjoy himself as he took part in one activity – spraying the press with water.
The Prince joined school children collecting DNA samples from a nearby pond when Dr. Kat Davis, founder of NatureMetrics, suggested that they turned the water-filled syringes on the watching press. While he wasn’t quite able to douse them, William happily shared, “This is the best day of my life – great fun.”
Prince William was in Guildford to visit NatureMetrics, a 2024 finalist for the Earthshot Prize. Founded by Dr. Kat Davis, the organisation gathers environmental DNA to help organisations and communities make more informed choices.
William was given a tour of NatureMetrics’s lab. Not only was he able to help with another DNA extraction, he was able to watch the rest of the process.
And as he did, he asked ”everyone will want to know. Does this mean you can find the Loch Ness monster?”
However, there was disappointment in store for William as Dr. Bruce revealed that New Zealand scientists had already tried out his suggestion and only found eel DNA. She said only the discovery of unidentified eDNA would raise the possibility of a real monster.
A TikTok science creator, Big Manny, was on hand to help. He and the Prince extracted the DNA from a strawberry.
The Prince of Wales has focused on the environment through the week. On Tuesday, he visited Lower Blakemere Farm, one of several sustainable projects in the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duchy of Cornwall has set a goal to be net-zero by 2032.