After a tumultuous period for the royal family, dealing with the alleged sexual abuse scandal involving former Prince Andrew, William hopes to shift focus on his tour of Brazil.
The iconic Christ the Redeemer monument in Rio de Janeiro will be illuminated green this week to celebrate Prince William’s Global Earthshot Awards.
The Prince of Wales arrived in Brazil ready to celebrate for three days the nominees and eventual winners of his prestigious environmental project, which lands for the first time in Latin America.
The Earthshot Prize culminates in a glittering awards ceremony on Wednesday at Rio’s futuristic Museum of Tomorrow, where five winners will each receive £1 million to expand their ideas to save the planet.
After a tumultuous period for the royal family, dealing with the alleged sexual abuse scandal involving former Prince Andrew, William hopes to shift focus on his tour of Brazil, where he will end on Friday with a visit to the COP climate summit in Belem, described as “the gateway to the Amazon.”
Earthshot, which offers prizes of £1 million in each of five categories, is one of William’s signature ideas which this week celebrated the halfway point of a decade-long project in different countries around the world.
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William launched the award in 2020, inspired by US President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 “Moonshot” speech, which challenged Americans to go to the moon by the end of that decade. William’s goal is to accelerate the pace of environmental innovation to combat issues such as climate change, ocean plastic pollution and wildlife habitat loss by 2030.
Selected from nearly 2,500 nominees from 72 countries, the 2025 finalists represent exceptional climate leadership. The ceremony is expected to reach a combined audience of 34 million in Brazil and the United Kingdom, the largest in the award’s history, with broadcasts on BBC and Globo.
The Prince of Wales, who left London for Rio de Janeiro this afternoon, said: “As I leave for Rio de Janeiro, I am excited for my first visit and to experience Brazil’s vibrant culture, its extraordinary biodiversity and, above all, the warmth of its people.
“With the eyes of the world on Brazil this week, there is no better place to celebrate bold climate leadership. Hosting the Earthshot Prize allows us to not only recognize those driving change, but also be inspired by them. When we work together with optimism and courage, a more sustainable future is within our reach.”
William will visit the world-famous Christ the Redeemer statue on Wednesday as part of local events.
Jason Knauf, CEO of the Earthshot Prize, said: “In just five years, we have built an ambitious global network of climate leaders. It is a truly unparalleled community of innovators, policymakers, businesses and changemakers.
“Together, we are proving that the solutions to our biggest challenges already exist. We just have to support them. At this critical point in the Earthshot Decade, our momentum is unstoppable.”
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales have moved into their “forever home”, Forest Lodge, with their children, it has been confirmed.
William and Kate left Adelaide Cottage in Windsor’s Home Park and took up residence in the eight-bedroom Grade II listed mansion in Windsor Great Park.
The move took place during Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ semester, after the family set a goal to move in before Bonfire Night.
The move is seen as a new beginning for the family following Kate’s recovery from cancer, and comes as William prepares to make a solo trip to Rio for his annual Earthshot Award.
But it means the Welsh family is temporarily closer to William’s disgraced uncle, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who is still at Royal Lodge, his estate in Windsor Great Park, although about 1.4 miles away as the crow flies from William and Kate.
