Prince William praises ‘brilliant’ Steve Irwin in surprise appearance

William, Prince of Wales has honoured the legacy of Steve Irwin with a surprise virtual appearance.

On Saturday evening the Wildlife Warriors, the Irwin family’s conservation organisation, held its annual Steve Irwin gala.

The 41-year-old royal amazed attendees at the glitzy event on Saturday night by giving a speech via video message, lending his support to the charity and commemorating the late TV star, who died in 2006.

Prince William told the audience: “I’m delighted to welcome you to the 2024 Steve Irwin Gala Las Vegas which celebrates the life and legacy of the brilliant Steve Irwin.

“Tonight is all about conservation and continuing Steve’s global mission to protect life on our planet. His dream was to have the cleanest water, the freshest air and wildlife in abundance. But most of all, he wanted a future for our children, advocating for the preservation of life on our planet.”

William went on to explain that he shares a lot of Irwin’s hopes and dreams and thanked the late star’s family for supporting his own Earthshot Prize which rewards innovators in clean technology.

He added: “It is a passion that I share, and it is why I launched the Earthshot Prize to search for and scale innovative solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges. Our mission is to protect and restore our planet in this critical decade leading up to 2030.

“The Irwin family’s support for the prize is something that I’m hugely grateful for. And I’m proud to join you virtually tonight to celebrate their work through Wildlife Warriors.”

Seeing the global impact of the charity founded by Irwin and wife Terri in 2002 brings hope for the future, Prince William said.

“Never before has it been so important for every single one of us to make environmentally conscious choices that will ensure the health and future of our planet,” he said.

– with AAP