King Charles got back to work today as he laid the foundations for a £58million research facility aiming to develop net-zero flight technology.
At the monarch’s first engagement after his coronation over the weekend, he paid a one-hour visit to Cambridge University’s Whittle Laboratory.
Established 50 years ago, the research center is developing a brand new laboratory that will bring together the world’s top aviation and energy experts to achieve zero-emission flights as soon as possible.
It’s a fitting first engagement for the king, who is a keen environmentalist but has been unable to comment on such issues since his accession to the throne.
Charles visited Whittle back in 2020, when the then-Prince said: “The need to make air travel carbon-free must remain high on the agenda.
King Charles raises a shovel in the air after breaking ground at the Whittle Laboratory’s new research facility
King Charles III visits the Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge to lay the foundation for the new laboratory
King Charles III will be joined by (left to right) Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman, Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, Dr. Bharatkumar Khetani, welcome. when he arrives for a visit to the Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge
“While many are calling for net-zero flights by 2050, I would urge you all to consider halving that timeline by 2035.” He visited again last March.
But in his first speech after the death of his mother last year, Charles pledged to uphold the constitutional obligation on British monarchs to keep abreast of the political fray, as the late Queen did.
“It will no longer be possible to dedicate so much time and energy to charities and causes that are close to my heart, but I know that this important work will continue in the trusted hands of others,” he said.
In a documentary celebrating his 70th birthday in 2018, then-Prince Charles also said he would change his behavior when he becomes king.
“Somehow the idea that if I need to succeed I’m going to keep going the same way is complete nonsense because the two — the two situations — are completely different,” he said.
His Majesty attended a brief tour of the Whittle facility Tuesday morning that included demonstrations of the key technologies and methodologies that will be made possible by the new laboratory.
He was joined by Energy Secretary Grant Shapps and Science Secretary George Freeman.
Charles wore a gray plaid suit, light blue shirt and patterned tie during his whistle stop tour.
The king appeared in jubilant mood as he raised his shovel in the air after breaking ground on the new site before shaking hands with the academics who were standing around.
The main goal of the new lab is to cut in half the time needed to develop key technologies for wider commercial exploitation.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “Today it typically takes six to eight years to develop a new technology to the point where it can be considered for commercial use in the aerospace and energy sectors .
“Recent trials at the Whittle lab have shown that this timeframe can be accelerated by breaking down silos that exist between academia and industry.
King Charles III during a visit to the Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge to lay the foundation for the new laboratory
Charles wore a gray plaid suit, light blue shirt and patterned tie for his tour of the Whittle lab on Tuesday
King Charles III with Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology George Freeman (second left) and Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps (far left) during a visit to the Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge
On the monarch’s first engagement after his coronation over the weekend, he paid a one-hour visit to Cambridge University’s Whittle Laboratory (monarch pictured upon his arrival on Tuesday).
Charles shakes hands with onlookers after breaking ground on the new Whittle lab
Charles chats with academics at the site of Whittle Lab’s new research facility on Tuesday
King Charles III laughs during a visit to the Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge to lay the foundation for the new laboratory
“In support of this work, the new lab will house the National Center for Propulsion and Power, built around a fast feedback innovation model developed by Formula 1.”
Following the demonstrations, Charles attended a “collaborative roundtable” of government and aviation officials to discuss how to make the industry more sustainable.
Charles then laid the foundation stone for the new lab while being watched by 100 of Whittle’s staff, students and professors from the university before unveiling a plaque to mark the occasion.
The Whittle Laboratory is an aerospace and energy research center at the University of Cambridge.
It was opened in 1973 by Sir Frank Whittle, who founded the company that invented the jet engine while still a student at Cambridge. The lab has worked with the likes of Rolls-Royce, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Siemens.
The king has visited the lab twice in recent years as he enjoyed more freedom to speak out on climate change issues.
In August 2021, he made one of his strongest interventions ever when he told UK business leaders they had to do more or the planet was “broken”.
King Charles has a few words during a visit to the Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge on Tuesday
King Charles III arrives for a visit to the Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge to lay the foundation for the new laboratory, meet with academics and pilots and tour the facility
Charles conducts a tour with academics and researchers prior to his departure
Faculty and students wave to the King as he leaves the Whittle Laboratory after his official visit on Tuesday
Moment Charles lays the foundation stone for the new Whittle Laboratory at Cambridge University
King Charles got back to work today as he laid the foundations for a £58million research facility aiming to develop net-zero flight technology (Picture: Charles at the Whittle Lab on Tuesday).
King Charles III arrives for a visit to the Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge on Tuesday
The then-prince emotionally drew on his family ties to barrel-fire-stricken Greece, urging big business to join his crusade for action “before it’s finally too late”.
The heir to the throne at the time said mankind’s “only hope” was for business leaders to join world leaders in an “epic battle” to avert the “climate catastrophe”.
He urged leading companies to sign up to his “Terra Carta,” a charter that commits them to placing sustainability at the heart of all their business activities.
It comes after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva revealed just last weekend that Charles had personally asked him to protect the Amazon rainforest.
Lula and the British monarch met at Buckingham Palace in London last Friday night, on the eve of the King’s coronation.
“The first thing the king said to me was to take care of the Amazon,” Lula said at a news conference in London.
“I said, ‘I need help,'” said the Brazilian leader, whose country is home to 60 percent of the world’s largest tropical rainforest, a vital carbon sink.
On Friday, following a meeting between Lula and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain pledged to contribute £80 million ($101 million) to the Amazon Fund, set up in 2008 to help conserve the rainforest.