Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pay emotional tribute to 'visionary' friend Jane Goodall

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have paid tribute to Jane Goodall following her death.

The Sussexes said: "Dr. Jane Goodall DBE was a visionary humanitarian, scientist, friend to the planet, and friend to us. Her commitment to changing lives extends beyond what the world saw, and also to what we personally felt. She held our son, Archie, when he was first born, and showered love and care to those who were privileged to know her. She will be deeply missed."

The Sussexes welcomed Dame Jane to their then-home at Frogmore Cottage in 2019 where she cuddled their baby son Archie, then just five weeks old.

The Duke of Sussex went on to take part in a meeting of her Roots and Shoots youth empowerment project at Windsor Castle, and the two kept in touch over the years.

The conservationist has previously recalled how they had "clicked" during their first encounter at Kensington Palace in December 2018.

Meanwhile, tributes have been flooding in from celebrities. Oscar-winning actor and environmental campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio has also paid tribute and said "we have lost a true hero for the planet", following the death of conservationist Dame Jane Goodall.

In a post to Instagram, he said: "Jane Goodall devoted her life to protecting our planet and giving a voice to the wild animals and the ecosystems they inhabit."

He added: "Her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania transformed our understanding of how our closest relatives live, socialise, and think - reminding us that we are deeply connected not only to chimpanzees and the other great apes, but to all life."

The primatologist, who died at the age of 91, was the world's leading expert on chimpanzee behaviour and defender of the creature's habitat, was in California when she died from "natural causes".

A statement shared to Facebook said: "The Jane Goodall Institute learned this morning, Wednesday 1 October 2025, that Dr Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, has passed away from natural causes.

"She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States.

"Dr Goodall's discoveries as an ethologist transformed science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of the natural world."