William to take in sights of Rio de Janeiro as Brazil tour begins

The Prince of Wales will begin his first tour of Brazil to stage his Earthshot Prize by taking in some of Rio de Janeiro’s attractions.

William will visit the city’s Maracana stadium and join school children taking part in football drills with former Brazilian defender Marcos Evangelista de Morais, better known as Cafu, to highlight the work of community leaders.

The football programmes attended by young people from communities across the city are inclusive spaces where they can build resilience, connect socially and access mental health resources.

During the first day of a five-day trip the prince will take in Rio’s beaches, the world-famous statue of Christ the Redeemer and attend events to better understand the biodiversity of the city.

The King is taking a keen interest in William’s environmental awards being staged in Rio.

Charles and his son and heir have been discussing William’s first tour to Brazil where he will take part in a series of events in the run-up to the Earthshot Prize ceremony on Wednesday evening.

Pop princess Kylie Minogue and Canadian singer Shawn Mendes are some of the global stars who will be performing at the prize-giving ceremony, alongside Brazilian music icon and former Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will join William at the star-studded event, where the prince will give the key-note speech, before both men gather with world leaders at the global Cop30 climate change summit in the Amazonian city of Belem.

William said before leaving for Rio: “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 world’s eyes turning to Brazil this week, there is no better place to celebrate bold climate leadership.

“Hosting The Earthshot Prize allows us to not only recognise those driving change, but to be inspired by them. When we work together with optimism and courage, a more sustainable future is within our reach.”

William’s planned visit to Brazil follows a tumultuous period for the royal family after the King stripped his brother Andrew of his prince and Duke of York titles following lapses in judgment over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

A source said: “The prince and the King have had a number of conversations about William’s visit to Brazil this week and the King takes a keen interest in the Earthshot Prize and what the prince is building.

“The King has read the prince’s speech… I can confirm that they have been talking about it and given that it’s such a shared topic that they feel extremely passionate about, I’m sure there’s been many conversations over recent months on the topic.”

William founded the prize to recognise and scale up ideas to help “repair” the planet, with the five winning finalists each awarded £1 million to further develop their ideas.