Prince William in Rio at start of Brazil visit for COP30 and Earthshot Prize

The Prince of Wales has been handed the keys to Rio de Janeiro as he begins a five-day visit to Brazil.

Prince William stood on Sugarloaf Mountain, with a bird’s eye view of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, as he received the honor from the city’s mayor, Eduardo Paes.

The prince had traveled to the top of the mountain by cable car, to the surprise of several groups of tourists queuing to climb the mountain. On his way back down, he posed for selfies with several of the people waiting to catch a glimpse of him.

He is visiting Brazil for the first time with two key environmental missions. On Wednesday, he presents the Earthshot Prize, the annual award given by the charity he himself created.

The next day, he will travel to Belém, in the Amazon rainforest, where he is scheduled to deliver a speech at COP30, the annual United Nations climate meeting where governments discuss how to limit and prepare for further climate change.

This is the first time Prince William has traveled abroad for a COP summit, with his father King Charles having already paved the way for the royal family, giving several speeches to world leaders over the years.

Prince William was present, with his father, during the 2021 edition in Glasgow, two weeks after the award of the first Earthshot Prize.

The prize awards a £1 million grant in five different categories each year for projects aimed at fixing the global climate – and Prince William has been committed to it for 10 years, with Rio marking the halfway point for this project.

This year’s shortlist includes a recycled skyscraper in Sydney, the entire island of Barbados and a Bristol-based company that filters microplastics from washing machines.

When announcing the nominees, the prince spoke of the optimism and courage he was looking for.

“The people behind these projects are heroes of our time, so let’s support them. Because, if we do, we can make the world cleaner, safer and full of opportunity – not only for future generations, but for the lives we want to lead now.”

After the ceremony, Mayor Paes said Prince William was “amazed by the beauty of the city” and joked, “So he has the keys, he can do whatever he wants for the next 72 hours. The city belongs to Prince William. I’m still the king, but it will belong to him!”

Prince William’s visit to Rio de Janeiro is the most significant royal engagement he will make this year and also marks the first time he will be seen representing the royal family since the crisis surrounding his uncle Andrew.

There has been speculation that Prince William was heavily involved in the king’s announcement last week to sanction Andrew by stripping him of his remaining titles and asking him to leave his home in Windsor – but people familiar with the matter say that was not the case.

Although William would have had a powerful and influential voice as a future monarch, the decision was ultimately made by the king in conjunction with his private team of advisors and in conjunction with the government.

The visit to Brazil will include two key environment-related events, but will also allow him to visit some of Rio’s other famous sites.

As a football enthusiast and President of the English Football Association, it is no surprise that a pilgrimage was organized on his first day to the Maracana Stadium, scene of some of the football-loving nation’s most famous moments.

Once there, he was greeted by the player who wore the yellow and green jersey more than any other, Brazil’s most capped star, Cafu, who presented him with an autographed Brazil number 2 jersey.

The legendary right-back, who is the only player in history to appear in three World Cup finals, was due to take part in the princely training exercises involving local children.

Cafu has also agreed to be one of the featured presenters of the Earthshot Prize, alongside former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel, Olympic gymnast Rebeca Andrade and Brazilian environmental activist Txai Suruí.