Copyright Newsweek
Prince William's visit to Brazil for his Earthshot Prize climate change project drew criticism on social media over his carbon footprint. The Prince of Wales gives out £1 million [around $1.3 million] in funding to each of five innovative solutions to the climate crisis, holding each ceremony on a different continent. This year Earthshot has taken him to Rio de Janeiro, making the event a prelude to climate conference COP30, also in Brazil, but in Belém, from November 10 to 21. A post on X read: "Prince William jets 5,500 miles to Brazil for his £300k taxpayer-funded 'eco' trip preaching sustainability while living off public money. The hypocrisy of monarchy in one flight #AbolishTheMonarchy." Newsweek approached Kensington Palace for comment. Why It Matters The post went viral after it was liked 6,100 times and viewed 127,000 times. It also chimes with a repeat criticism made of Prince Harry about his use of private jets. Needless to say, Prince William's visit to Brazil offers him an opportunity to attempt a reset for the British monarchy, which for weeks now has been in the grips of a crisis about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. What to Know The tour began on November 3 when Prince William arrived in Rio, receiving the ceremonial keys to the city atop Sugarloaf Mountain from Mayor Eduardo Paes. From there, William enjoyed a barefoot beach-volleyball game on Copacabana Beach alongside Brazilian Olympian Carolina Solberg and later visited the famed Maracanã Stadium where he took part in a soccer training session with youth players. There has been a serious message too, with an announcement about support for indigenous communities risking their lives to preserve the Amazon rainforest against the threat of illegal logging. The main event though will be Wednesday when the Earthshot Prize ceremony will hand five innovative projects aimed at protecting the environment £1 million each. What People Are Saying One reply to the X post read: "It’s wild how 'sustainability' always means sacrifice for the public, but not for the people on the private jets. It’s not just about carbon emissions. It’s a statement about who gets to play by different rules, paid for with everyone else’s cash. If your message only applies to the little people, you never actually believed in it." Prince William promoted a project aimed at helping indigenous communities protect the Amazon from logging at the United for Wildlife Summit on Tuesday: “We cannot manage our forests while their protectors live in fear. And we cannot protect environmental defenders without securing the territories they defend. "This initiative means working in partnership with those who know the land best to strengthen Indigenous-led systems, deliver legal aid, and emergency support." Stephanie al-Qaq, Britain's ambassador to Brazil, told GB News: "The royal family is very well known here and His Royal Highness in particular as well. So coming here to Rio, iconic city, there's a lot of interest and there's a lot of excitement. I think we'll see a lot of Brazilian's out on the street coming out to say hello." What Happens Next The official purpose of the trip is the 2025 Earthshot Prize ceremony at the Museum of Tomorrow on Wednesday, November 5. The project began in 2020 before the first ceremony was held in Britain in 2021 before moving to Boston in 2022, Singapore in 2023, Cape Town, South Africa, in 2024 and now Rio. The prize is due to run until 2030, dishing out £50 million in grants in total over the course of a decade.
