The Prince of Wales was welcomed to Rio de Janeiro with an honour reserved for the carnival king – the keys to the city.
William stood on top of Sugarloaf Mountain with a bird’s eye view of the metropolis and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue after being greeted by the Mayor of Rio Eduardo Paes.
The future king had taken the cable car up to the vantage spot popular with tourists at the start of a five-day visit to Brazil to stage his Earthshot Prize and attend the Cop30 UN climate change summit.
Speaking about his motivation for the environmental awards, which aim to find solutions to “repair” the planet, William told Hello! magazine: “As a father, I think constantly about the world my children will inherit.
“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.
