Prince Charles' Concerns For Future Grandchild

The Prince of Wales has spoken of the responsibility he feels at the prospect of becoming a grandfather, as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge await their first child.

Charles, an outspoken campaigner on environmental issues, said he did not want to "hand on an increasingly dysfunctional world" to his grandchild, due to be born in the summer.

In an interview with This Morning presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, he said: "I've gone on for years about the importance of thinking about the long-term in relation to the environmental damage, climate change and everything else.

"We don't, in a sensible world, want to hand on an increasingly dysfunctional world to our grandchildren, to leave them with the real problem.

"I don't want to be confronted by my future grandchild and (have) them say: 'Why didn't you do something?' So clearly now that we will have a grandchild, it makes it even more obvious to try and make sure we leave them something that isn't a total poisoned chalice."

In December, Charles said he was "thrilled" at the prospect of becoming a grandfather, after William and Kate announced the Duchess was expecting their first child.

She later spent three days in the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London while being treated for a severe form of morning sickness.

Charles has been a strong advocate of taking action to protect the environment for many years.

In 2007 he set up The Prince's Rainforest Group to find a solution to save the world's threatened forests.

He addressed a UN international climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009 and the following year he gave a keynote speech to the Oslo Climate and Forest Conference.

During the ITV1 daytime show interview at Clarence House, to be broadcast today, Charles also voiced his concern about Prince Harry, who is currently serving in Afghanistan.

"If you are a parent or relation to a loved one and that person is away in these incredibly dangerous and challenging circumstances, I know you worry all the time," he said.

"Certainly every night I worry. But he [Prince Harry] loves doing what he's doing and he's brilliant at it."

He added: "I constantly meet the families of those who have lost their sons, husbands, brothers or sisters ... and I have some understanding at least of what they go through."