King Charles and Prince William made a rare joint appearance last night as they attended a major climate event in London.

The father and son stepped out together on Thursday evening for the Countdown to COP30 reception at the Natural History Museum. The event was held to highlight environmental challenges ahead of the COP30 climate summit, which will take place in Belém, Brazil, next month.

According to Kensington Palace, the Prince of Wales will represent his father at the conference.

A United Front for the Environment

Arriving together on October 9, the King, 76, and the Prince of Wales, 43, were seen chatting warmly with fellow guests, including environmentalists, scientists, politicians, and climate campaigners. Among the attendees were Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Miliband, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, and former Prime Minister Theresa May.

The pair’s joint appearance — their first in several months — was met with delight from royal fans after the Royal Family’s official Instagram account shared footage from the evening.

“Love a father and son outing,” one commenter wrote, while another added, “It’s always wonderful to see the King and Prince William together. The environment is something they both deeply care about.”

Prince William to Represent the King at COP30

It was also confirmed that Prince William will travel to Brazil next month to attend COP30 on behalf of the King. The Prince is already scheduled to visit Rio de Janeiro for the fifth edition of his Earthshot Prize Awards on November 5.

The 30th United Nations Climate Conference will run from November 10 to 21, and has previously been attended by King Charles, a lifelong environmental advocate.

Both the King and the Prince share a long-standing commitment to protecting the planet. In 1970, a then 21-year-old Prince Charles gave a speech warning about the dangers of plastic pollution — decades before it became a global concern.

Prince William has often spoken about how his father inspired his passion for environmentalism, recalling how Charles would take him and Prince Harry litter-picking as children to instil respect for nature.

Continuing that legacy, the Prince launched The Earthshot Prize in 2020, an annual global award recognising five innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.