Rio de Janeiro — The future King of Britain traded royal formality for sand, sweat, and sunshine on Monday as Prince William kicked off his five-day visit to Brazil with a whirlwind day of sports, symbolism, and smiles.
The Prince of Wales, in Rio to mark the fifth anniversary of his Earthshot Prize and attend the United Nations COP30 Climate Summit, was welcomed with an honor usually reserved for the city’s carnival king — the keys to Rio de Janeiro. Standing on a helipad high atop Sugarloaf Mountain, William admired the sweeping views of the metropolis and its iconic Christ the Redeemer statue before greeting Mayor Eduardo Paes, who shouted to cheering crowds below, “Viva Rio!”
From there, William plunged straight into action. At the world-famous Copacabana Beach, the heir to the throne joined Olympic volleyball star Carolina Solberg and students from her Levante Institute — a sports initiative helping underprivileged youth.
Wearing casual sports gear and a broad grin, the prince threw himself into a beach-volleyball match, diving and jumping for points as beachgoers gathered in their hundreds to watch. Solberg later praised her royal teammate:
“He’s tall, full of energy, and really competitive. If he practiced more, he’d be great — and yes, he’s definitely on my team!”
After shaking sand from his shoes, William moved inland to the Maracanã Stadium, where he met football legend Cafu and young players from Terra FC, an environmental education program that uses sport to teach climate awareness. The prince joked with the children about his favorite club, Aston Villa, before scoring a goal during a friendly kick-about.
One young goalkeeper, 14-year-old Pedro Enrique, stopped a penalty from the prince and beamed afterward:
“I was nervous — he’s the most famous person I’ve ever faced! It was a good penalty, but I saved it.”
Earlier in the day, William had also joined Rio’s lifeguards on a rescue-training exercise, meeting firefighters and local safety officials as they demonstrated sea-rescue drills off the city’s coast.
Throughout the day, the prince’s message remained clear — that tackling climate change requires both global leadership and community action. In an interview with Hello! magazine, he reflected on his motivation:
“As a father, I think constantly about the world my children will inherit. The Earthshot Prize is about proving to them that we’re willing to fight for their tomorrow.”
In the coming days, William will visit several of Rio’s iconic landmarks before hosting the Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony at the Museum of Tomorrow. He will then travel north to Belém for COP30, where he is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on behalf of the King and the U.K. government.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Prince Harry will undertake his own engagement — a visit to Toronto, Canada, ahead of Remembrance Day, to meet veterans and armed forces charities. A spokesperson emphasized the trip had been planned “months in advance.”
Back in Britain, the monarchy continues to face its share of turbulence following King Charles’s recent decision to remove Prince Andrew’s remaining titles and evict him from Royal Lodge, a move reportedly backed by Prince William.
But in Rio, none of that tension showed. The future king ended his first day laughing with children and lifeguards, waving to the crowd as the sun dipped below the horizon.
“That was brilliant,” he said simply, brushing the sand from his hands.
And for Brazil’s beachgoers, it seemed the prince had already won gold — not for royalty, but for charm.
