Prince William accused of 'hypocrisy' for saying royal family were 'ahead of their time' on climate change

Prince William claimed that the royal family were "ahead of their time" in fighting to save the environment and people have thoughts.

Speaking ahead of a documentary on his conservation efforts, the prince reportedly said:

My grandfather was well ahead of his time. My father was ahead of his time.

I really want to make sure that, in 20 years, George doesn't turn around and say, are you ahead of your time? Because if he does, we're too late.

William's grandfather, Prince Phillip, helped to establish the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which is now the world's largest conservation organisation, in 1970. He also inspired the creation of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) in 1961.

His son and William's father Prince Charles has long practised organic farming and founded the Prince's Mayday network to encourage businesses to take action on climate change. William, similarly, is a patron of the Tusk Trust, an organisation set up to protect African wildlife, and founded the Earthshot Prize for people coming up with solutions to environmental problems.

But although the royal family have certainly taken an interest in wildlife and the environment, they have been accused of hypocrisy for hunting foxes and other animals.

They have also been criticised for enjoying a luxurious lifestyle while encouraging others to tackle climate change.

Prince William, for instance, has a vast array of private vehicles at his disposal, including an Audi, Jaguar, Range Rover, Bentley and private jet.

On top of this, it's worth pointing out that the royal family own several palaces and other properties across the country – which isn't exactly a sustainable way to live.

They also weren't the only ones to have spoken out about conservation in the twentieth century and earlier: efforts to preserve the environment can be traced back to 1662, while scientists raised the alarm about climate change more than 30 years ago.

So, although the royal family have promoted numerous worthwhile environmental causes and spoken out about climate change, claiming they were "ahead of their time" might just be a slight exaggeration.