Prince William issues statement days after Andrew stripped of royal titles

Prince William has said he is "excited" to arrive in Brazil tomorrow morning to showcase his annual Earthshot Prize. Speaking as he departed London on a commercial flight, the heir to the throne said: "As I depart for Rio de Janeiro, I am excited for my first visit and to experience Brazil's vibrant culture, its extraordinary biodiversity, and above all, the warmth of its people.

"With the world's eyes turning to Brazil this week, there is no better place to celebrate bold climate leadership. Hosting The Earthshot Prize allows us to not only recognise those driving change, but to be inspired by them. When we work together with optimism and courage, a more sustainable future is within our reach."

William will this week attempt toshift the focus away from his disgraced uncle and onto his annual environmental prize.

William, 43, is spending three days in Rio de Janeiro for the 2025 Earthshot Prize awards, an initiative he launched in 2020 to find solutions to major environmental issues such as climate change, ocean plastic pollution and loss of wildlife habitat.

This year's prize ceremony is being touted as the "biggest and best Earthshot ever".

It's one of the central tenets of his work, and he'll be hoping that the spotlight will be on his series of engagements in the Brazilian metropolis and not Andrew Mountatten Windsor's spectacular fall from grace.

Last week, the King made the decision to strip his younger brother of his prince and Duke of York titles over his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He will also move out of his lavish mansion, Royal Lodge, and relocate to the King's private Sandringham Estate.

William was consulted on the move to formally take away his honours, as father and son attempt to prevent Andrew from overshadowing the Royal Family's important work.

On Monday, the prince will arrive via a commercial flight, and jump straight into a series of engagements at some of the city's world-famous sites, such as the iconic Christ the Redeemer Statue.

All of his engagements will highlight the work being undertaken to protect the country's rich biodiversity and diverse ecosystems.

During his trip, William will spotlight "the next generation of climate leaders and on why now, more than ever, action is needed to protect and restore the planet," a spokesman for the Prince of Wales says.

They added: "It's an exciting time to be in Brazil as across Latin America, environmental leaders are driving bold, innovative approaches to protect and restore vital ecosystems like the Amazon, while creating local jobs and economic opportunities."

William will also attend a summit of his United for Wildlife consortium, which works to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife parts and endangered species.

Following the star-studded award ceremony on Wednesday evening, where five finalists will be awarded £1million to expand their environmental innovations, the prince will travel to Belem for the United Nations Climate Summit COP30.

World leaders will gather in the city, known as the gateway to the Amazon River, to discuss the latest efforts to solve the global climate crisis.

With William attending COP on behalf of his father, who has championed the environment for decades, it is understood that the pair have had several conversations about the prince's visit to Brazil this week.

The King takes a keen interest in his son's Earthshot Prize and has also read through William's COP speech, which he will deliver on Thursday. A source said the King was "delighted" to read it and discuss the trip, as it's a "shared topic that they are so extremely passionate about".

The CEO of the Earthshot Prize, Jason Knauf, says, "With its energy, its people and its iconic landscapes, it is the perfect place to celebrate amazing environmental innovation and host our biggest and best Earthshot ever."

He said the finalists have raised over £380million in funding from investment and philanthropy and protected and restored over 1 million hectares of land and sea, adding:"In just five years, the momentum we've built is nothing short of extraordinary."