Prince William burnishes credentials as king-in-waiting with Earthshot Prize and COP30 in Brazil
LONDON (AP) — We’ve seen a lot of Prince William lately — and we’ll see a lot more.
The heir to the British throne will take to the streets of Rio de Janeiro this week to promote his reputation World Shot AwardAn attempt to find solutions to important environmental problems. Will follow this United Nations Climate Summit COP30William’s father, King Henry III. He will also be in Brazil, where he will represent Charles II and the UK government.
William’s trip to the Brazilian metropolis known for Copacabana Beach and the annual Carnival is the latest in the monarchy’s effort to portray the prince as a statesman ready to become king.
The magnitude of the task he faced was further revealed by the king’s dramatic decision. undress brother Andrew He revealed his royal title and home in Windsor were due to his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. William was consulted about the move to strip Andrew of his honour, as allegations against the king’s brother threatened to engulf the royal family.
In recent weeks, William stood by his father at a COP30 gala event in London, wiping away tears as he spoke to a grieving widow about her husband’s suicide. interviewed actor Eugene Levy here he discussed his plans for the monarchy.
“He’s sending out a lot of signals about how he wants to be ruler when the time comes,” said Sally Bedell Smith, author of “Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life.”
“And given that his father has been ill for almost two years, I think it would be irresponsible for them not to pave the way for what we hope will not happen anytime soon.”
Of course, Charles’ hosting of the US President shows no signs of slowing down Donald Trump’s official visit Before leaving in September Pray with Pope Leo XIV a month later. But behind this liveliness lies the fact that the king will turn 77 this month and has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since early 2024.
And so the palace is preparing, as always, cautiously.
Plan and then plan some more
Unlike the prime minister and parliament, which exist in the day-to-day realities of electoral politics, Britain’s hereditary monarchy thinks years, if not decades, ahead, said Craig Prescott, an expert on monarchy and constitutional law at Royal Holloway University of London.
He notes that the institution is somewhat like an oil tanker, in that it takes a very long time to turn around, and small course corrections made now will lead to big changes later.
“They need a watchman who is always looking ahead at the icebergs,” Prescott said. “And in a way, that’s what they do.”
William likes to think big
So it’s no coincidence that William’s Earthshot Prize arrives in Rio as world leaders prepare to gather in Belem, the gateway to the Amazon River basin, for the latest efforts to solve the global climate crisis.
Offering $1 million in prizes in each of five categories, Earthshot is one of William’s signature big ideas and the kind of project he might focus on once he becomes king.
He launched the award in 2020, inspired by U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” speech in 1962, which challenged Americans to go to the moon by the end of this decade. William’s goal is to accelerate the pace of environmental innovation to tackle issues such as climate change, ocean plastic pollution and loss of wildlife habitat by 2030.
change on the horizon
As it enters its fifth year, Earthshot appears to be shifting gears.
Until now, the award has focused primarily on small startups in the hope that their technologies can be scaled to solve global problems. Bob Ward, director of policy and communications at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said it was now increasingly recognized that policy innovation that brought countries and communities together was vital to solving these existential challenges.
Among this year’s finalists United Nations High Seas TreatyAiming to protect marine environments outside national jurisdictions; Guangzhou, China, a leader in the electrification of public transportation; And Lagos Fashion Weekpromoting sustainable, artisanal clothing producers to counter the wave of fast fashion rejection that is literally washing over African shores.
The winners will be announced Wednesday night after three days of policy discussions and photo opportunities, including William playing volleyball at Copacabana Beach and participating in a football penalty shootout at the Maracana stadium.
William will then travel to the COP30 summit of world leaders, where politicians, environmental campaigners and community organizations will discuss ways to accelerate efforts to reduce carbon emissions that cause global warming. While Charles has represented Britain at previous climate conferences and made his mark on an issue he championed long before most other leaders, his eldest son will take center stage this year.
This is a chance for William, a 43-year-old father of three, to show off what he talked about with Levy on his Apple TV+ show “The Reluctant Traveler.”
“I can easily say that change is on my agenda, change for the better,” he told Levy after a tour of Windsor Castle. “I embrace it and I enjoy this change. I’m not afraid of it. That’s the part that excites me.”
William will bring this agenda to the COP summit.
“Of course, you know, he will speak as someone from the younger generation that came from his father and emphasize that this is a persistent problem,” Ward said. “And of course, it’s also true that the people for whom this matters most are the youngest people in the world, and there are future generations that will have to live longer with the consequences of our talent, or future generations that will have to deal with this problem now.”
