Prince William has been bestowed with the keys to Rio de Janeiro, an honour typically reserved for the city's carnival king, as he commenced a five-day visit to Brazil.
The Prince of Wales was greeted by Mayor Eduardo Paes before ascending Sugarloaf Mountain, where he enjoyed a panoramic "bird's eye view" of the sprawling metropolis and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue.
The future monarch's trip marks the beginning of a significant engagement in Brazil, where he is set to stage his Earthshot Prize and participate in the Cop30 UN climate change summit.
Speaking to Hello! magazine about his motivation for the environmental awards, which aim to discover solutions to "repair" the planet, William shared his personal perspective.
"As a father, I think constantly about the world my children will inherit," he explained.
"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 stood on a helipad near a tourist viewing spot to take in the sights and chatted to the mayor, who presented him with the keys to the city and shouted in Portuguese to the watching crowds “Viva Rio”.
The ceremonial keys to Rio are traditionally handed to King Momo – carnival king – by the mayor to officially launch the Rio carnival festivities.
Mr Paes is co-hosting the C40 World Mayors Summit with his London counterpart Sir Sadiq Khan, an event showcasing how cities are tackling the climate crisis being held ahead of Cop30 being staged by Brazil in the Amazonian city of Belem.
Meanwhile the Duke of Sussex is to carry out a trip to Canada this week, clashing with his brother’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony during his major tour to Brazil.
Harry’s visit to Toronto to meet with veterans, members of the armed forces community and military charities was announced just minutes after William kicked off his stay in Rio de Janeiro with a welcome ceremony on Sugarloaf Mountain.
The royal brothers have a long reported rift which shows no sign of abating, but the duke’s spokesperson insisted the visit had been almost a year in the planning and that the announcement happened because of a “truncated” time period in which Harry’s engagements can be revealed due to security.
They said the Royal Communications team had been consulted and made aware of Harry’s plans in advance of the announcement.
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