Prince William teases 'very special' Earthshot Prize project

Prince William has delighted royal enthusiasts by teasing a 'very special' Earthshot Prize project - all whilst still rocking his fan-favourite beard.

The Prince of Wales, 42, took to Instagram on Friday to share two new photographs which captured the father-of-three filming during a rainy day in the woods. 

Confidently rocking his new beard in the snaps, William sported a navy jacket over a green jumper and blue shirt as he held an umbrella in one of his hands. The second image showed the prince being recorded for the upcoming initiative.

The photos were captioned: 'Filming for a very special @earthshotprize project earlier today. Watch this space.'

No further details were given - but royal fans couldn't contain their excitement - for both the project and William's beard - as they commented on the post. 

One person commented: 'Can't wait to see it,' while another said: 'So excited'. A third added: 'Wow. Can't wait.'

Meanwhile, someone else said: 'Who else absolutely loves the beard on Prince William? He looks smashing!' 'The beard was surprising at first but I actually quite like it now. So distinguished!' added a fifth person. 

The social media post comes after William announced the 15 finalists of his prestigious annual Earthshot Prize awards competing for £5 million in prize money.

They were selected from a record entry of nearly 2,500 nominations from 139 countries, each boasting a pioneering solution to the most pressing climate and environmental challenges facing the world today.

The Prince of Wales recorded his video message in Windsor last month and appeared to be continuing his summer 'glow up' wearing a navy 'shacket' - a trendy shirt/jacket hybrid - with his much talked about beard.

The Earthshot Prize is one of the heir to the throne's big 'passion projects' and looks to find and upscale positive solutions to the climate crisis in five key areas: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-Free World and Fix Our Climate.

Fifteen entrants have made it through to the finals in each of the categories, which will be held in Cape Town in November. 

They were chosen by an advisory panel comprised of more than 100 experts from across the globe with backgrounds in conservation, science and technology, business, finance, academia and policy.

The eventual winners will be given a £1million prize each to develop their initiatives with support and guidance from the Earthshot team.

They will be decided by members of the Earthshot Prize Council including William, Queen Rania of Jordan, actress Cate Blanchett and environment legend Sir David Attenborough.

Among those competing are: 

• the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance from Ecuador, comprising 30 indigenous nations that protect an area the size of Germany in the rainforest; 
• a company which is on track to provide more than a billion people across Africa with clean solar home energy solutions; 
• a UK company, MiAlgae which provides an environmentally friendly food source for farmed fish; 
• a US firm developing biodegradable natural fibres to replaces plastics in the fashion, footwear and automobile industries; and
• a social enterprise making earthquake-resilient low carbon bricks in Nepal.

The Earthshot Prize was founded by William in 2020 and will herald a total 50 winners over ten years, with a £100million prize pot. This year is the fourth annual awards.

In his message, William says: 'Today, we celebrate the incredible achievement, unwavering dedication and urgent optimism that drives our fourth class of Earthshot innovator.

'The passion of these Finalists is a testament to what can be achieved when we tap into the enormous creativity, ingenuity, and optimism of communities around the world.

'Representing every corner of the globe, these Finalists are leading the way in solving some of the most urgent environmental challenges. 

'Their groundbreaking work is inspiring hope and action as we work to create a sustainable future for generations to come.'