Why The Duke of Sussex is guest editing NatGeo's Instagram

His Royal Highness takes to NatGeo's 122-million strong Instagram account to raise awareness of a subject we all should care about – and to encourage us all to 'look up.'

By Simon Ingram
Published 30 Sept 2019, 14:25 BST
The Duke of Sussex is encouraging members of the public to look up and share their ...
The Duke of Sussex is encouraging members of the public to look up and share their own images of tree canopies around the world.
Photograph by Simon Ingram, National Geographic

The Duke of Sussex is today guest-editing National Geographic's Instagram account. In sharing his own thoughts and curating a collection of striking photographs of trees which he will share to 122 million National Geographic followers, His Royal Highness hopes to celebrate the importance of conserving indigenous forests around the world, their role in supporting ecosystems and the balance of a healthy planet.

Today's takeover comes as part of The Duke's tour of southern Africa, where two National Parks have recently been created as part of the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy (QCC). The Duke of Sussex is planting trees as part of the QCC, which was launched in 2015 with the aim of uniting the 53 countries in the Commonwealth to preserve areas of forest – and share the best ways to do so. So far nearly 50 countries have committed indigenous forests to conserve, or have planted trees as part of the initiative. 

The Duke of Sussex's first post was a shot looking up at a canopy of Baobab trees in Malawi. This ancient species of tree is now the focus of conservation efforts.
Photograph by National Geographic

The Duke, in his first post on National Geographic's Instagram feed, included his own picture of a Boabab tree canopy in Liwonde National Park, Malawi. He also introduced a hashtag campaign called #LookingUp, and invited anyone to share their own pictures of similar perspectives around the world. “#LookingUp is to raise awareness of the vital role trees play in the Earth's ecosystem, and an opportunity for us all to take a moment, to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings. So join us today and share your own view, by looking up!”  

The Duke of Sussex aims to “raise awareness of the vital role trees play in the earth’s eco-system, and an opportunity for all of us to take a moment, to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings.“
Photograph by DPA Picture Alliance, Alamy

National Geographic Editor-in-Chief Susan Goldberg said: "We are delighted to be partnering with The Duke of Sussex to raise awareness about the importance of preserving and restoring indigenous forests, We hope this partnership will help shine a light on this key issue needed to maintain a healthy planet.” 

The Duke of Sussex's posts will be shared on National Geographic's Instagram account, along with a hand-picked selection of National Geographic photography dedicated to trees and their preservation. You can visit a special National Geographic UK page dedicated to trees and their conservation here

The World's Canopy: Read More 

5 Times People Used Trees to Change the World

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