William focuses on Earthshot mission as he avoids royal scandal question
Prince William diplomatically declined to comment on the scandal surrounding his uncle Andrew while speaking to reporters during a Q&A session on his Earthshot Prize trip to Brazil.
William was asked about his recent comments that he would pursue "change for good" when he becomes king and was invited to elaborate on comments he made in an interview with Eugene Levy "given there has been a lot of change in your family recently".
However, William deflected the question and chose to focus on supporting "the brilliant people in this room," saying: “Change will come from backing them, not by what I do.”
He described attendees as "action heroes" and added: “I want to surround myself with people who want to make change and do good in the world.”
William was speaking as he prepared for Earthshot’s awards ceremony.
He also talked about how he wanted to leave a positive legacy for his children. He said: “For my children, particularly, knowing that the planet’s going to be in a better, healthier state because of the people in this room is something I love to tell them when they go to bed – it’s going to be great, your future is going to be as bright as futures gone by and that’s a really important message for all of us to hear.”
William will conclude his first visit to Brazil by meeting Indigenous peoples to learn about the role they play in protecting critical ecosystems.
William traveled to the South American country to stage his Earthshot Prize in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday and the following day delivered a significant speech at the Cop30 UN Climate Change summit in Belem, a city in the Amazon.
He told delegates, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer: “Where Indigenous people and local communities have secured land rights, deforestation is lower, biodiversity is richer, and carbon is better stored.
“Let us build a future where Indigenous people and local communities are recognized as global climate leaders — where their rights are protected, their voices heard, and their knowledge respected as vital to the health of our planet.”
Indigenous organization Tenure Facility was an Earthshot finalist in the restore and protect nature category.
It aims to help Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local communities secure ancestral land rights, enabling them to protect critical natural ecosystems for generations to come.
Earlier this week, the prince pledged to support those "standing up and defending nature" with a new fund covering Indigenous advocates protecting the Amazon.
William announced the initiative at his United for Wildlife summit in Rio and called on governments, businesses, and civil society to “step up and play their role” in stopping environmental crime and destruction.
In his speech at Cop30, William said: “At London Climate Action Week, I convened governments, philanthropists, and Indigenous leaders to issue a Call to Action – for land tenure and forest finance pledges to be delivered at Cop30 here in Brazil.
“That Call to Action continued through New York Climate Week in September, and brings us here, to Belem, where we must listen to the voices and leadership of Indigenous people and local communities, who care for half of the world’s land and a third of its remaining intact forests.”
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