Prince William honors 'much-missed' Queen Elizabeth II in first speech as Prince of Wales
Prince William and Kate Middleton became the Prince and Princess of Wales after the death of Queen Elizabeth II
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince William honored the late Queen Elizabeth II in his first public speech as the Prince of Wales Tuesday.
The Duke of Cambridge and Cornwall attended the United for Wildlife Global Summit, where he spoke about animals being threatened by poachers. Prince William created United for Wildlife in 2014 as part of the Royal Foundation.
William also acknowledged his father King Charles III and his late grandfather Prince Philip's work.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Our natural world is one of our greatest assets," William said, according to People magazine. "It is a lesson I learnt from a young age, from my father and grandfather, both committed naturalists in their own right, and also from my much-missed grandmother, who cared so much for the natural world."
Prince William mentioned the late Queen Elizabeth II in his first speech as the Prince of Wales. (Getty Images)
"In times of loss, it is a comfort to honor those we miss through the work we do," Prince William added. "I take great comfort then from the progress we are making to end the illegal wildlife trade."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The creation of the Prince of Wales' foundation has led to 450 law enforcement cases, 250 arrests and almost 200 seizures, according to People magazine.
Prince William noted there is still more work to do.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"While we do not have the luxury of time, clearly we do have a proven roadmap to success and the motivation to put it into action," William added. "I hope you all leave here today energized and motivated to intensify this work. Because there are still too many criminals who believe they can act with impunity, too many lives being destroyed and too many species on the brink of extinction due to this heinous crime."
Prince William honored Queen Elizabeth II previously with an Instagram post. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
This isn't the first time Prince William has honored Queen Elizabeth II. Shortly after her death on Sept. 8, the prince shared an emotional message on social media.
"On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign," he wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I, however, have lost a grandmother," he added, reflecting on what the queen meant to his family. "And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of the queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.
Queen Elizabeth II died Sept. 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. (Chris Jackson)
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"She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real."