HOWZAT

The idea to invite Prince Charles to appear by hologram came from organisers of the Abu Dhabi energy conference, attended by some of the Gulf’s most prominent industrial leaders, which is being billed as a “carbon-neutral” event.

It is the first major summit since the UN conference on climate change in Bali.

The prince was heavily critisised last year for flying to the US with an entourage of 20 staff to collect an award honoring him as an environmentalist from Harvard Medical School.

Last summer, he published details of his own carbon footprint and set targets to reduce the carbon emissions of the royal household in an effort to highlight environmental issues.

However, independent audits concluded the prince’s environmental practices were wanting.

Prince Charles’ pre-taped address was converted into a hologram image using a technique that dates back to music halls productions where “ghosts” would appear onstage.

A high-definition projector beams the video onto a holographic film set at a 45-degree angle, which reflects a 3D image of Prince Charles onstage.

The only complication arose over whether Royal protocol should apply to holographic image, with much debate over whether Prince Andrew, who is also attending the summit, should stand on the same stage as Prince Charles’s hologram.

“It’s a delicate area,” explained Mr Reel.

Energy Summit organisers say they hope the Prince’s holographic appearance will inspire others to cut their carbon emissions.

“We are looking into using the same technology for musicians so they can appear at multiple events at the same time,” said Mr Reel.

“Just think, Kylie could appear at five venues at once,” he said.

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