Following in the footsteps of his wife, Princess Catherine of Wales, Prince William is stepping behind the camera — and in front of the microphone — to spotlight the global conservation efforts of wildlife rangers in a new six-part docuseries titled Guardians.
Released by The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife initiative and BBC Earth’s digital channels, the series airs weekly from 23 May and offers a rare, on-the-ground look at the vital work rangers do to protect biodiversity across the globe.
Each 6–10-minute episode reveals how rangers live and work in some of the world’s most ecologically sensitive areas. These locations are often also geopolitically complex, adding to the challenges they face. Guardians profiles those who risk their lives to prevent poaching and protect endangered species from the snow-draped Himalayas to the rainforests of the Amazon.
Prince William is a long-time advocate for the conservation of the environment and wildlife. He is the founder of United for Wildlife and the Earth Shot Prize. For Guardians, he provides the narration and introductions for each episode.
“The reality is that protecting our natural world has become one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet,” he states in the series.
“We need to understand and recognise nature’s guardians — the true heroes defending the future of the planet for all of us.”
Filmed across six countries, Guardians shares stories from a reformed poacher in the Central African Republic who now protects wildlife, to teams in South Africa’s Kruger National Park working to rehabilitate rhinos, and Indigenous communities in Brazil defending ancestral lands. It also explores efforts in Sri Lanka, Mexico, and India, reflecting the global scale of conservation challenges and solutions.
It has drawn comparisons to Sir David Attenborough’s nature documentaries. In fact, one report states that David “inspired” the prince:
“David Attenborough – big inspiration for me growing up and being able to present wonderful parts of the world to many of us, most of us will never get a chance to visit, and I hope this does the same kind of thing.”
Episodes of Guardians are available now on BBC Earth’s YouTube channel, with new instalments released weekly. You can watch all the episodes here.
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