Prince William Steps Out to Support Cause Connected to Hospital Where George, Charlotte and Louis Were Born

The Prince of Wales is a patron of the appeal to create The Fleming Initiative at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London

Prince William is stepping out for a good cause.

On May 16, the Prince of Wales attended an event at The Royal Society in central London to celebrate the research being undertaken to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Prince William, 41, was pictured speaking with fellow attendees at the event, which was held at The Royal Society's building in Carlton House Terrace.

The royal is the patron of the appeal to create The Fleming Initiative, which is a global movement based out of St. Mary's Hospital, where his and Kate Middleton's three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 — were born. Prince William, as well as his brother Prince Harry, were also born at the hospital.

The event — titled The World Together Solving the Antibiotic Emergency — was co-hosted by His Majesty’s Government and The Royal Society. It highlighted "the latest scientific and economic research into antimicrobial resistance," while also celebrating citizen and civil society campaigns, according to a press release.

The conference was also attended by representatives from United Nations organizations, Ministers from the Commonwealth and around the world and those championing finding a solution to antimicrobial resistance. During the event, Prince William listened as survivors of antimicrobial resistance shared their stories, before giving a speech of his own.

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"Unless we act now and together, the ripple effects of drug resistance will be felt across generations, jeopardizing the wellbeing of our children and our grandchildren," Prince William said in part. "I am, however, hopeful. Thanks to the efforts and expertise of a great number of people — including many in this room — we now better understand the scale of the AMR threat."

"It is clear that no one nation or sector can tackle AMR alone. So, I am delighted to see representation from so many countries here at this conference and look forward to speaking to many of you later about your efforts to tackle this vital issue," William said, voicing hope for the Fleming Centre that will open in Paddington in 2028 to "bring together world-class scientists, clinicians, behavioral researchers and policy makers, to scope, test and scale for solutions that will keep global drug-resistant infections at bay."

"It will be a space with the public at its heart. And the Centre will also be one of a network of Fleming Centres based in countries around the world. The vision is to bring global effort to a global problem," the Prince of Wales outlined.

After the conference, Prince William hosted a private reception at St. James’ Palace for attendees.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when the microorganisms that cause infections become resistant to antibiotics and antifungals, according to the Mayo Clinic. The issue is on the rise due to the misuse of antibiotics in both humans and livestocks. If a solution isn't found, it is estimated that drug-resistant microbes will lead to around 10 million deaths per year by 2050.

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In July 2023, the Prince of Wales officially became the patron of the appeal to launch The Fleming Centre. The center is set to open in 2028 to coincide with the centenary of the discovery of penicillin, the first antibiotic.

At the time his patronage was first announced, Prince William and Princess Kate shared a statement on their official X account, writing, "Over one million people a year die as a result of antimicrobial resistance. The Fleming Centre will drive a global movement to tackle it. Proud to become Patron of the appeal to create this vital centre, which will educate, inspire and catalyse action to solve this problem.”

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Kensington Palace added that The Fleming Initiative, which is responsible for the construction of the center, will educate the public on the issue through exhibitions, engagement activities and more.

"It is hoped that this transformative approach at the London Centre will act as a blueprint which can be shared and adapted to local contexts around the globe,” the palace said at the time. “In becoming Patron of the appeal to build the Centre, Prince William will support efforts over the next five years to make these ambitious plans to overcome global anti-microbial resistance a reality.”

Prince William's attendance at the event comes after his two-day tour of Cornwall, where he visited a community hospital and his housing project.

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