Princeling's hatching was kept secret until he was ready to fly for safety reasons, and he was tagged in June by experts supporting the RUN project.

The project aims to foster shared responsibility for protecting raptors, with Princeling symbolizing what can be achieved through collective effort to combat illegal persecution.

RUN’s leadership expressed pride in Princeling’s milestone, viewing it as a positive sign of effective conservation and a step toward reversing biodiversity decline in the UK.

Sir David Attenborough has named the first fledgling golden eagle, Princeling, in Scotland as part of a UK-wide conservation project aimed at restoring the species.

The project, expanding into England and Wales under the Restoring Upland Nature (RUN) initiative, emphasizes community support and collaboration among landowners, conservationists, and government agencies.

The success of the project is credited to the efforts of local communities, partners, funders, raptor workers, gamekeepers, and estate managers, highlighting a collective approach to conservation.

RUN chairman Michael Clarke expressed excitement about Princeling’s arrival, emphasizing its significance in reversing biodiversity decline and fostering shared responsibility for raptor protection.

The initiative highlights collaboration among communities, landowners, and conservation groups, with plans to extend eagle recovery efforts into northern England.

Princeling’s parents, Emma and Keith, are local; Emma was translocated in 2021 and named after a women’s rights advocate, with the pair nesting near Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway.