Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released an emotional statement after their longtime friend and primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall died at age 91.
Dr. Jane Goodall, renowned anthropologist and primatologist, once held Prince Archie as a newborn. She also served as a longtime friend to Harry and Meghan.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex 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.”
Born Dame Jane Morris Godall on April 3, 1934, in Hampstead, London, Goodall was a leading expert on chimpanzees, having dedicated over six decades to studying these primates. She passed away on October 1 in California.
Beyond her revolutionary research and activism, she was a significant figure in pop culture, with numerous films documenting her life’s work.
The official statement from the institute reads, “The Jane Goodall Institute has learned this morning, Wednesday, October 1, 2025, that Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute has passed away due to natural causes. She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States.”
In 2019, Time magazine named Jane one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in January 2025, President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Her legacy includes significant contributions to animal activism and advancements in primate studies. Her life and work are celebrated in the song ‘Jane,’ from Stevie Nicks’s album ‘Street Angel.’ Over the years, more than 40 films have been made about the esteemed primatologist, with the most recent being the 2023 IMAX documentary, Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope.
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Jane also penned 11 children’s books during her illustrious career and provided her own voice for the animated Nickelodeon series The Wild Thornberrys. The Walt Disney Company recognized her contributions with a commemorative plaque on the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Lego created a minifigure in her honor in 2022 to mark International Women’s Day. Mattel launched a Jane Goodall doll that same year as part of its Inspiring Women collection.
The chimpanzee authority also notably expressed belief in Bigfoot’s potential existence, sharing with the Huffington Post in 2012, “I’m fascinated and would actually love them to exist. Of course, it’s strange that there has never been a single authentic hide or hair of the Bigfoot, but I’ve read all the accounts.”
Regarding her primate research, she made groundbreaking discoveries in the early 1960s about wild chimpanzee communication and social behavior, their leadership structures, and child-rearing practices, all previously undocumented before her comprehensive studies. Dr. Jane Goodall will be celebrated as among history’s most influential female scientists, blazing trails for other women in her discipline.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
