William’s ears left in dire straits thanks to Prince Louis’ drumming practice

The Prince of Wales joked that Prince Louis’ drumming practice has left him taking drastic action when he thanked celebrity musicians for supporting a wildlife charity.

William told Dire Straits star Mark Knopfler and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood that his son’s musical aspirations have left him with his fingers in his ears, when they attended the Tusk Conservation Awards honouring workers safeguarding Africa’s habitat and animals.

A ranger from Africa Parks, an organisation managing national parks the Duke of Sussex supports as president, was recognised during the ceremony, with Claver Ntoyinkima winning the wildlife ranger award for being an inspiring leader and his dedicated work in Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park.

William gave the keynote speech to guests, who included actor Idris Elba, in his role as royal patron of the Tusk Trust wildlife charity and called for global support for those working to stop future generations becoming “disconnected from nature”.

Before the awards presentation, the prince chatted to Wood, joined by his wife Sally Humphreys, and Knopfler and his spouse Kitty Aldridge, and the royal quipped there was lots of creativity in the room and they could start a band.

He joked: “My youngest is learning the drums, that’s why I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears.”

William went on to say “I’m interested in different eras of music” and “music is such an important part of my life”.

Later, during his keynote speech at the event staged at the Savoy hotel, the future king said: “Tonight is a reminder that our planet continues to face terrifying environmental concerns from climate change and habitat destruction to the exploitation of natural resources and an alarming downward trend in global biodiversity.

“Rainforests the size of countries are disappearing. And one million species are at risk of extinction mostly due to human activity.

“Now is the time to support those globally that work to prevent future generations from becoming disconnected from nature, we must invest in the natural world around us and understand the value it has for us all, both now and in the future.

“That is why the insight and knowledge of the award winners tonight is so important. They should guide and inspire us all to drive change.”

Knopfler auctioned dozens of his prized guitars earlier this year, generating almost £9 million in sales – with around £600,000 of the proceeds donated to Tusk Trust.

When he met met the prince, the musician joked: “I realised I’ve got 100 left.”

During the ceremony, the prince presented the awards to the recipients with Edward Aruna named as the Tusk Award Winner and Nomba Game receiving the Prince William Award.