New Delhi: Delhi-based environmentalist Sunita Narain’s name got a special mention by Britain's Prince William as he spoke about his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of 70-year reign of the 96-year-old monarch. According to a report by news agency PTI, during the celebrations outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday night, Prince William focused his speech on the environment as he spoke about the Queen.
Describing the concert venue as an IMAX screen, William, as quoted by PTI, said, “As I watch those extraordinary images, it does make me think of all the monumental and pioneering work of so many visionary environmentalists that have gone before.”
“I think of Rachel Carson from America, Wangari Maathai from Kenya, Sunita Narain from India and so many others. While no one's grandmother thanks them for talking about their age, my own grandmother has been alive for nearly a century. In that time, mankind has benefited from unimaginable technological developments and scientific breakthroughs,” the Prince added.
Taking to her Twitter handle, the environmentalist, thanking the Prince, said, "I am overwhelmed to be mentioned by @PrinceWilliam and to be in the company of the greats. It gives me courage and recognises our work on environmental justice and the need for urgent action."
His speech was followed by his father, Prince Charles, who paid tribute to the Queen’s selfless service.
“Your family now spans four generations. You are our Head of State. And you are also our mother,” said Charles.
“Your Majesty, you have been with us in our difficult times. And you bring us together to celebrate moments of pride, joy and happiness. Maybe this year, it really is coming home. You have met us and talked with us. You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us, for these 70 years. You pledged to serve your whole life you continue to deliver,” Charles added.
According to the report, Queen Elizabeth II did not attend the concert on Saturday. However, she took part in a pre-recorded comic sketch with Paddington Bear to start the event.
It is to be noted that the concert witnessed 22,000 people thronging the venue to enjoy performances by a range of music artists, as well as appearances from the stars of stage and screen, along with the sporting world. There were songs also from Sir Elton John, George Ezra, Craig David, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran and Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder, apart from Sir Rod Stewart's performance of 'Sweet Caroline'.