Robert Irwin, the son of the late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin, has become an ambassador for the Prince of Wales’s Earthshot Prize.

Irwin described William’s initiative that aims to recognise and scale up initiatives to “repair” the planet as a “beacon of hope for all of us”.

The 2024 Earthshot Prize awards ceremony will be held in South Africa, raising the prospect of a royal visit to the country by the prince.

Irwin said: “The Earthshot Prize is a beacon of hope for all of us who care about the environment and about our ability to ensure a liveable future for ourselves and future generations.

“Healthy oceans, ecosystems and species equal a healthy planet, and the Earthshot Prize recognises the importance of investing in and helping grow solutions that protect these critical resources.”

Steve Irwin was an Australian zookeeper and popular television personality whose shows about wildlife caught the imagination of audiences in his homeland and across the globe before he died in 2006 after being stabbed by a stingray.

His children Robert and Bindi Irwin have continued his legacy working in wildlife conservation and appearing on television shows.

Irwin was named as an Earthshot global ambassador alongside Hollywood actress Nomzamo Mbatha, who has appeared in Eddie Murphy’s comedy sequel Coming 2 America and the Bruce Willis film Assassin.

Mbatha said: “As an African, I am passionate about highlighting the incredible work of innovators and entrepreneurs across the continent, and I can’t wait to work with Robert and others within The Earthshot Prize to honour and celebrate African solutions in Cape Town later this year.”

Three new judges have been added to the Earthshot Prize Council which selects the five category winners who each receive £1 million to scale up their projects.

Restauranteur Jose Andres, environmentalist Wanjira Mathai, and indigenous activist and author Nemonte Nenquimo will join the council whose members include William, Sir David Attenborough, fashion designer Stella McCartney, actress Cate Blanchett and Queen Rania Al Abdullah.

Awards are presented in five categories or Earthshots – Protect And Restore Nature; Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans; Build A Waste-Free World; and Fix Our Climate.

Singapore staged the most recent awards ceremony last November, after prize-giving events were held in Boston in 2022 and London’s Alexandra Palace in 2021.