Prince Harry and Dr Jane Goodall, the legendary primatologist, met for the Roots & Shoots Global Leadership Meeting – and the two reenacted a chimp greeting. During the meeting, Goodall asked Harry if he remembered the greeting from when they previously met, to which the royal put on his best animal impression, approaching her as if he was a male chimp. Harry then patted Goodall on the head, encouraging her to embrace him in a hug.
Roots & Shoots is a global program empowering young people through hands-on projects chosen by the participants. The program works to ignite and inspire the belief that every individual can take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.
Watch the sweet moment below:
Harry and Dr Goodall have met on several occasions over the years, and at the meeting, he praised the primatologist and anthropologist for both her work and compassion.
“She is a woman of kindness, warmth, immense knowledge and a softness that’s needed by mankind just as much as it is chimpkind,” Harry said on Tuesday, per People. “I’ve been admiring her work since I was a kid, and it was so wonderful to find that she was even more amazing in person.”
At the meeting, Harry then addressed attendees and heard presentations from representatives from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. The Duke of Sussex then met with young people in the program and learned about the issues affecting them before posing for a group photo.
Earlier in the week, Dr Goodall stopped by Frogmore Cottage to meet Meghan Markle and Archie Harrison.
“He’s very cute and very gentle,” Dr Goodall told reporters on Tuesday.
Dr Goodall also opened up about meeting the Duchess of Sussex.
“She told me she’s followed me all her life. She told me, ‘You’ve been my idol since I was a child. I’ve hero-worshipped you all my life,’ ” said Goodall.
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