Royal hope of better world for grandchild

Charles, an outspoken campaigner on environmental issues, told ITV’s This Morning he did not want the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s child, due to be born next summer, to ask him why he had not done more to tackle issues like climate change.

In an interview at Clarence House with presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, to be broadcast today, he said: “I’ve gone on for years about the importance of thinking about the long-term in relation to the environmental damage, climate change and everything else.

“We don’t, in a sensible world, want to hand on an increasingly dysfunctional world to our grandchildren, to leave them with the real problem.

“I don’t want to be confronted by my future grandchild and (have) them say: ‘Why didn’t you do something?’ So clearly now that we will have a grandchild, it makes it even more obvious to try and make sure we leave them something that isn’t a total poisoned chalice.”

Charles spoke as he backed This Morning’s You Can Be Heroes Week, which aims to capitalise on the success of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and create a new army of volunteers across the UK.

In a wide-ranging interview with the ITV daytime show he also reiterated his worry about Prince Harry, who is currently serving in Afghanistan, something he also did at the “Millies” military awards last month.

“If you are a parent or relation to a loved one and that person is away in these incredibly dangerous and challenging circumstances, I know you worry all the time,” he said.

“Certainly every night I worry. But he [Prince Harry] loves doing what he’s doing and he’s brilliant at it.”

Backing the programme’s campaign supporting volunteering he said events like the 2012 Olympics, Paralympics and Diamond Jubilee “bring out the best in people”.

An army of much-hailed volunteer “games makers” was created for the Olympics and Paralympics, helping events at the many venues run smoothly.