Prince William has ended his visit to Brazil by meeting indigenous leaders at a botanical garden in the Amazonian city of Belem. The future King heard how they are playing a vital role in protecting the regions ecosystems, a day after urging attendees at the COP30 summit to recognise indigenous people as "global climate leaders."
William met representatives from Tenure Facility, a finalist in the 2025 Earthshot Prize category Restore and protect nature, at the Museu Emilio Goeldi, the Amazon’s oldest museum, which is surrounded by a park containing more than 3,000 botanical species.
The organisation aims to help indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local communities secure ancestral land rights, enabling them to protect the land for generations to come.
As the Prince left his hotel for his final engagement on November 7, he stopped the convey to do an impromptu walkabout with locals, who were shouting "William, William." The heir to the throne also posed for selfies with waiting members of the public.
© Mauro Pimentel - WPA Pool/Getty ImagesEarlier this week, at his United for Wildlife summit, the Prince of Wales pledged to back those "standing up and defending nature" as he launched a new Royal Foundation partnership to fund indigenous advocates protecting the Amazon.
In his speech at the COP30 World Leaders Summit, William said: "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."
© Getty ImagesThe Prince joined Joenia Wapichana, a former politician and President of the National Association for Indigenous Peoples to visit the sumaúma tree, one of the oldest in the park, and a species that many indigenous Brazilians have a spiritual connection to. He then joined a conversation with five Indigenous Peoples representatives and leaders from across Brazil to hear about how they are integrating traditional knowledge with digital tools to monitor territories, combat disinformation, and promote culturally rooted solutions.
The Prince of Wales touched down in Brazil on November 3 to begin his first official visit to the country. The centerpiece of the trip was the fifth annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony, which took place on November 5 at Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Tomorrow. The star-studded event, where this year's winners were unveiled, was attended by Kylie Minogue, Shawn Mendes and more.
Ahead of this year's Earthshot Prize Awards, William exclusively told HELLO! that his environmental prize "is about turning the tide, about proving to our children that we are willing to fight for their tomorrow." The Prince also said that Rio felt "like the perfect place to celebrate the power of environmental innovation," with its energy, people and landscapes.
"This region is home to some of the world’s most vital ecosystems and some of its most passionate environmental defenders," the Prince of Wales added. "By hosting the prize in Brazil, we're shining a light on the solutions emerging from this part of the world and drawing global attention to the urgency and opportunity of climate action."
