Ahead of Wednesday’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, Prince William is sightseeing and showing off his beach volleyball skills in Brazil.
When the Prince of Wales landed in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, he was greeted with cheers and given a key to the city by Mayor Eduardo Paes. While the scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten Windsor dominates headlines around the world, sources close to the prince say William wants to use the trip to “showcase the good work” of the monarchy.
“Prince William believes passionately in the monarchy and its future,” says a source close to the prince. “He has been very frustrated that the focus has been on scandal rather than all the good work the royal family does. Earthshot is his legacy, and he is passionate about what it is trying to achieve.”
In a bid to reduce his carbon footprint, William flew on a commercial flight ahead of Wednesday’s ceremony, which will mark five years of his environmental initiative. Every year, five finalists are each awarded £1M (which converts to about $1,305,260 USD) to put their plans into practice. Aides have described the awards as William’s legacy project and something that will continue when he becomes king.
In a recent interview with HELLO! Magazine, William said, “As a father, I think constantly about the world my children will inherit. I want them to grow up surrounded by nature, opportunity, and a sense of hope about the future. But I also know that unless we act boldly now, that future is at risk. The Earthshot Prize is about turning the tide, about proving to our children that we are willing to fight for their tomorrow.”
William has the full support of his father, King Charles, who encouraged him to establish the awards as a way to find solutions around the globe to protect and save the planet.
On Monday, William took a cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain, where he chatted with Brazilians and posed for selfies. He also visited the Maracanã stadium, where the soccer-loving royal met Brazilian legend Cafu. William and Cafu joined an event for young environmental campaigners, where William spoke about the importance of leadership and told the young people, “You guys are my hope, you’ve got the passion, the ambition, that’s what this needs.”
During Tuesday’s engagements, William will focus on environmental work. In partnership with two other organizations, William announced a new initiative that will fund a five-year program to help indigenous people and activists defend the Brazilian rainforest. The announcement came after visiting Paquetá Island, off the coast of Brazil. The Prince was the first royal to visit the car-free island, where the population, which totals 5,000, has made a pledge to clean and protect their home. Later on, the prince is expected to give a landmark speech about wildlife and saving the planet at an event for United for Wildlife, an initiative he founded with King Charles and Prince Harry.
The trip to Brazil marks Prince William’s first major engagement since the announcement involving his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who was formally stripped of his titles last week.
The Prince of Wales will head to the COP30 UN climate change conference on Thursday, where he will represent both his father, King Charles, and the British government. William will be joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and cement his status on the world stage as not just the heir to the throne but a statesman too. This will be the first time he represents his father at the climate conference. Meanwhile, Kate Middleton is at home with the couple’s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, after recently moving into Forest Lodge.
Follow