King Charles III's love of the environment may be famous today, but long before climate change became the focus of attention, the future king was teaching his young sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, about environmental habits.
As Prince Harry recently revealed in a BBC documentary, one of King Charles' most "crazy" things was making sure the lights in the rooms he wasn't in use were turned off – a small thing that the two princes still diligently follow to this day.
According to Prince Harry, when he and Prince William were children, his father was a very "man who insisted on turning off the lights". While this may sometimes annoy young royals, the habit clearly impressed them – both men persisted into adulthood.
Prince Harry admitted in the documentary: "He's a guy who insists on turning off the lights and that's what I'm obsessed with now. ”
"It's crazy because actually, my wife would say 'Well, why turn off the lights?' You know it's dark. ’”
Prince Harry said he always replied: "'We only need one lamp, we don't need six.' All of a sudden, it became a habit, and these little habit changes he made, everyone could do." ”
Prince William agreed, admitting that Charles had given him "severe light-switch obsessive-compulsive disorder, which was horrible." Although it was a joke, it was clear that the royal siblings had inherited their father's love of saving electricity and developed the habit of saving energy from an early age.
Over the years, the habit seems to have become stronger and stronger, even affecting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's lives across the ocean in California. You can imagine how much fun it is for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to easily argue over how many lights exactly they need in a room, thanks to King Charles' little sowing.
Of course, this is also a timely habit. With inflation and climate change threatening the planet, energy costs soaring, and the royal family's vigilance against electric light switches is admirable. Small actions like turning off unnecessary lights can make a big difference in terms of saving energy and resources. King Charles was clearly ahead of his time, and he tried to instill this lesson in his sons.
Though unobtrusive, the princes' obsessive-compulsive disorder gives us a glimpse into their sweet relationship with King Charles in their youth. It's touching to think of Prince William and Prince Harry following behind their father when they were children, scolded for turning on too many lights. Thanks to King Charles' patience and persistence, the king's temper became a habit throughout their lives.
His environmental philosophies paid off, with both Prince William and Prince Harry taking up the torch of environmental protection as adults.
In 2022, King Charles affectionately described his sons' efforts in an article on climate change for Newsweek. "As a father, I am proud that my sons recognize this threat." He wrote, and praised Prince William for launching his "Fight for the Planet" award initiative. This ambitious project aims to identify and fund impactful technologies to help improve the environment over the next 10 years.
Meanwhile, King Charles praised Prince Harry's passion for highlighting climate issues affecting Africa and his commitment to achieving net zero through his nonprofit work. It seems that the king's concern for the environment affected the princes in many ways.
While Prince William is heir to the throne and Prince Harry has stepped back to the position of a senior member of the royal family, the brothers are clearly aligned on this important issue. They have to thank their father for his serious responsibility for energy — even as they roll their eyes and complain about his nitpicking on light switches.
Decades later, based on their persistent vigilance, the habit seems to have taken root. In an era led by the generation of Prince William and Prince Harry, this is good news for continuing King Charles's legacy and dedication to conservation.
Who knows – maybe one day even Prince George Jr., Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will complain in good faith about their grandfather's insistence on saving electricity and reducing environmental impact. If this concern has taken root in the early days, there is hope that young royals will take the torch, just like their fathers and uncles.
After all, Prince Harry himself said it best: the little habits Charles asked his sons to develop are something everyone can learn. Multiplying these small acts of conscientiousness by millions of people yields huge energy savings. The ripple effect of Charles' "crazy" fascination with light switches could have wide-ranging effects if adopted more widely.
At the very least, it seems to have shaped two influential princes who are still dutifully turning off the lights today. For Prince Charles, this is undoubtedly a proud royal legacy.
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