Prince William teams up with Hollywood royalty for unexpected outing
Prince William joked he should have paid more attention in chemistry as he toured laboratories making sustainable clothing dye with Cate Blanchett. The Oscar-winning actress joined Prince William in Norwich on Thursday for a visit to UK-based company Colorifix, an Earthshot Prize finalist in 2023.
Ms Blanchett, who sits on the Earthshot Prize Council and previously joined the heir to the throne for the prize awards in Singapore two years ago, said the tour will change the way she looks at what colours to wear. The pair visited four different laboratories that each illustrated a step in Colorifix's process of making environmentally friendly fabric dye.
After learning about the technical DNA sequencing of natural colours, William quipped: "Today has just made me realise I should have listened in all of my chemistry lessons. Going back over all those old notes like 'Damn, why didn't I pay more attention'."
Speaking afterwards, Ms Blanchett, who has won two Academy Awards for her performances in The Aviator and Blue Jasmine, said: "The DNA sequencing is incredible. And I think what happens in any scientific process - though I'm far from an expert - is that you get these incredible happy accidents. Like the discovery of a metallic sheen to one of the pigments."
Some colours are more difficult to make sustainably rather than using petrochemicals - which pollute the planet and are harmful to wildlife - including black, green, white and blue. Ms Blanchett said the visit had 'certainly been an education in colour and what is possible,' and added that in the future, she will 'certainly look at the amount of white and black and blue in my wardrobe and maybe try and gravitate towards pinks and peaches'.
Colorifix uses DNA sequencing and natural colours to create sustainable dyes with an aim to replace the fashion industry's use of chemically synthesised dyes. The industry of fabric dying currently consumes five trillion litres of water globally each year and harms wildlife by dangerous chemicals seeping into water sources.
Colorifix aims to reduce this impact by identifying a colour created naturally, either by an animal, plant or microbe and then using the DNA to pinpoint where that colour is coded in the genetics of that organism.
The DNA code is then translated into a safe microbe that is transported to a dye house, which supports the growth of the colour through fermentation. The result is a dye that can be transferred to fabrics using no added petrochemicals.
Through the visit, Ms Blanchett and Prince William were able to learn how Colorifix identifies the code that produces the pigment and then how the resulting dye liquid they make is attached to fabric. Wearing long lab coats, the pair were invited to look at the DNA under a microscope as well as view the fermentation process firsthand.
In an impromptu speech to Colorifix's staff at the end, William praised their work and the ability of the start-up to scale since being named as an Earthshot finalist in 2023.
'I know it's taken us a bit of time to get here, but you're doing really well,' he said, adding: 'Best of luck, it's going really well and it's really exciting. I know you're going to be pushing the industry very quickly so well done.' The heir to the throne also hailed the 'magicians' at the end of the process, when the dye gets transferred onto nine available different types of fabric.
Colorifix, which already works with high street giant H&M on some of its clothing, also takes steps to reduce its carbon footprint at every step of the process.
Ms Blanchett, who keenly asked questions throughout the tour of the various labs, said afterwards: 'Even within six to 12 months, and in the time that I've become aware of [Colorifix's] activities, and where it is now 12 months down the track is so exciting, just how quickly these things can be scaled up and evolve.'
Orr Yarkoni, the co-founder and chief executive of the company, said that a 'big difficulty' they have faced in scaling up is that brands have already cemented their logistics. He said: 'The big difficulty here in scaling isn't just getting to scale, it's getting to scale at the place because the brands have already set up their logistics - we make over here, we dye over here and then we cut trim over here and then it goes to warehousing.
'So if you're not applying the technology where they're already dying…we can't be everywhere at the same time. So that's the big challenge.' Mr Yarkoni added: 'We need to implement where the supply chain is. Rather than trying to get the industry to adapt to us, we need to do everything to adapt to the industry and make it easy for them to change.'
Ms Blanchett said that brands doing small-scale collaborations 'is an exciting model' because 'people can really engage in those cross-fertilisations. They have short burn but introduce people to a different way of doing things,' she explained.
The visit marked Ms Blanchett's ongoing support for William's Earthshot Prize, established in 2020, which awards £1 million annually to five inventors who have come up with new solutions to help save the planet.
The actress has previously praised the Prince's initiative for recognising 'innovations that are not only game-changing but rapidly scalable'. William said last year that with Earthshot, he wants to 'celebrate talent and solutions, rather than telling people 'don't do this or don't do that'.'
'You've got to be so careful because there's been a lot of that,' he said. 'I don't want to preach, I want to find solutions.'
The next Earthshot Prize Awards will be held in Brazil in November, with a host of celebrities including Sir David Beckham, Heidi Klum, Billy Porter, Hannah Waddingham and Robert Irwin. The event is being held ahead of COP30, the UN environmental summit, which the Prince also hopes to attend.
Announcing this year's location, William, the founder and president of the Earthshot Prize, said: 'We need urgent optimism now more than ever, and I think Brazil epitomises that.' He added: 'We are seeing fresh momentum for new ideas to create healthier and safer ways to live our lives. It is an honour to profile the people making our world a better place for us and for our children.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Disgruntled ex-employee's fury after boss sends him an outrageous text request
A fired employee has sparked a humorous debate after exposing a shameless request from his former boss. The text message seemed genuine and polite, however it has transpired that this particular manager was asking the man to come back and train his own replacement just days after being let go. In a now-viral TikTok video, British career expert Ben Askins shared the shocking text message exchange that left thousands of viewers gobsmacked, with many dubbing the boss's request 'delusional' and 'ridiculous.' The clip, which has amassed more than 175,000 views, shows the boss pleading with the sacked staffer to return and train the new hire on the company's ticketing system. Outrageously, he was offering nothing more than a coffee in exchange. 'This boss was really pushing his luck!' Ben captioned the video. 'Situations like this can be easily avoided,' after he too seemed shocked by the lack of regard the boss had for the ex-worker. 'Hey, I know this probably isn't the best time to ask, but we're struggling with the new ticketing process. Is there any chance you could come in and run the new guy through it?' the employer messaged over text. To which the disgruntled ex-employee clapped back: 'Are you having a laugh? You fired me last week?' Lacking any regard for their feelings the employee replied: 'I know, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. It shouldn't take you long. I know this is awkward, I promise you will get a coffee for the favour.' In the video, Ben chimed in adding his own opinion on the matter, joking that a mere coffee for his time was 'quite alright, then,' as he laughed. Surprisingly, the ex-employee replied with an olive branch to help, but felt remuneration was only fair for his time: 'I will do it. But I want it to be a remote tutorial, and I will charge you for half a day.' 'Remote is fine, but half a day's pay? This will only take a few minutes?' the employer replied, clearly surprised at the request. 'That is the deal.' Begrudgingly his terms were met, but not without a small dig at his audaciousness of actually being remunerated for his time and effort: 'Fine, but I am disappointed this is the way you are playing this,' the boss replied. Ben, who frequently posts career advice and work-related scenarios, was stunned by the entitlement on display. 'Firstly, let's be very clear,' he said. He does not have to do this favour. So the fact that he's charging is completely okay. 'He's giving up his time. He really doesn't have to do it, so the idea that this boss doesn't think he should pay is absolutely ridiculous.' He continued by saying that the text exchanges was 'a good example of why companies need proper training guides and onboarding processes - so you don't end up in situations like this.' Hundreds of Ben's viewers weighed in on the text exchange too, and they didn't hold back. The comments under the video lit up with support for the ex-employee, with many saying he should've asked for far more than just half a day's pay. 'Half a day? I'd charge them my consultancy fee and it would be astronomical,' one user wrote. 'I wouldn't even answer the message,' said another. 'At this point he's not under contract, he's a consultant. He can charge what he wants.' 'I'd reply two words and the second word would be 'off,' joked one. 'Half a days pay? He doesn't work there no more so his days pay is zero and half of 0 is 0.' While some users said they would've hung up or blocked the boss altogether, others applauded the ex-employee's cool-headed professionalism, particularly for negotiating remote work and payment. The viral saga has become a cautionary tale for workers everywhere, especially in industries where employees are often expected to go above and beyond, even after being let go, it seems.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Can we trust nuclear power again?
Dr Tim Gregory is a nuclear evangelist. A chemist who works in the labs of Sellafield, Britain's oldest nuclear site, he argues that embracing nuclear energy is the only way to achieve net zero. He tells Helen Pidd it is an energy source long misunderstood – unfairly tainted by the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters. It is a safe technology, he says, and despite the billions it costs to build nuclear plants, it represents good value for money. Across the world – from the UK and Denmark to Italy and the US – countries seem willing to look at nuclear again. So can we trust it?
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Reviving the lost art of learning and reciting poetry
J. Alfred Prufrock certainly makes for more pleasurable listening than the Shipping Forecast or the typical dire warnings about warm weather. Those tuned in to Radio 4 before 8am on Tuesday will have enjoyed Freddie Fox, scion of the acting dynasty, reciting TS Eliot in tremendous tones — the morning spread out against the sky. The occasion for this recital was a fine one. Monday marked this year's finals of Poetry by Heart, a national competition for reciting poetry. Pupils from across England descended on Shakespeare's Globe to recite their favourite stanzas. Some 200,000 children have taken part in the competition since it was founded in 2013, supported by Andrew Motion, the poet laureate at the time, to encourage the teaching of poetry. • The power of poetry for kids Reciting poetry is something of a lost art. The compulsory requirement for students to learn poems was scotched from the curriculum in 1944. Yet in 2012, it made a surprise return to the English syllabus. Some teachers complained it was an outdated practice, yet the success of the Poetry by Heart competition suggests they were wrong. Plus, according to a study by Cambridge University, there are benefits to reciting poetry. Its Poetry and Memory Project concluded that those who memorised poems found it provided a useful container for thoughts, a comfort zone for the brain that helped forge new emotional connections. And which poem did it find was most commonly known for recital? The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. Fox, a patron of Poetry by Heart, explained why knowing great poems is important. 'It's a compass, a road map when it's in your head to navigate the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune … a way of giving words to those problems when you don't quite perhaps have the words yourself.' The pupils who appeared at the Globe can thank the work of Poetry By Heart for reviving this lost life skill.
