- - Royal Spike! Prince William Serves Up a Surprise on Copacabana Beach During Brazil Visit

Simon PerryNovember 4, 2025 at 5:36 AM

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Chris Jackson/Getty

Prince William at Copacabana Beach in Brazil on Nov. 3, 2025 -

Prince William capped off his first day in Rio de Janeiro with a visit to the world-famous Copacabana beach

The Prince of Wales highlighted environmental work on the sands and ocean

He also got to sample a Brazilian favorite: beach volleyball

Prince William's first day in Brazil wasn't complete without a visit to Copacabana Beach.

While he was there to focus on environmental conservation and the lifesaving work of the guards on the beach, he also had time for a classic Brazilian beach sport: volleyball.

William, a former air ambulance helicopter pilot, champions the work of emergency services back in the U.K. and elsewhere. He started his visit to Copacabana by meeting with Rio de Janeiro's Military Fire Brigade, which runs the lifeguard services on the beach.

Chris Jackson/Getty

Prince William at Copacabana Beach in Brazil on Nov. 3, 2025

The Prince of Wales, 43, watched a sea rescue lifeguard drill and chatted with some young people who recently took part in a free summer program called Project Botinho. The program is organized by the fire brigade and provides educational and recreational activities for around 5,000 youngsters from ages 7 to 17 at a number of beaches in the state.

The project encourages awareness about ocean safety, drowning prevention, first aid and environmental conservation.

Then, William picked up a ball and joined some children from disadvantaged communities for a game of beach volleyball. The youngsters were from the Levante Institute, a school run by Brazilian Olympian Carolina Solberg, that aims to transform the lives of children through sport.

Chris Jackson/Getty

Prince William visits Copacabana Beach on Nov. 3, 2025

The game capped off a sporty first day in Rio for William, who earlier visited the Maracanã Stadium, where he and former Brazilian national team star Cafú joined some young people in the penalty kick competition.

He also used the arena to bring together young people from around Brazil who are working in their communities to tackle environmental and conservation challenges with the help of the Terra Football Club, a campaign that brings together football clubs, players, schools, NGOs and governments to “talk about the planet and talk about the climate crisis."

Terra co-founder Ricardo Calcado raved to PEOPLE about the prince's interactions with the kids and dedication to the environment.

"Our kids loved it, and Prince William was extremely delighted and asked many questions and interacted with the kids. It was beautiful," says Calcado, adding that "his aura and his energy show he’s really got a purpose. It was a very special moment for us."

Kate Middleton is not with William on this visit, which is centered around his Earthshot Prize awards.

The prince spoke with Hello! magazine ahead of the trip, sharing that his focus on environmental causes is inspired by his and Kate's three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

“As a father, I think constantly about the world my children will inherit,” he said. “I want them to grow up surrounded by nature, opportunity, and a sense of hope about the future."

“Urgent optimism is the heartbeat of The Earthshot Prize,” he told HELLO! “It’s the belief that although the challenges we face are immense, the solutions are within reach, and we must act with speed and conviction to bring them to life.”

After several days of visiting with Brazilian locals and environmental charities, William's visit with culminate with the Earthshot Prize awards held at Rio's Museum of Tomorrow on Nov. 5.

He will be joined by Cafú and other celebrities like Kylie Minogue and Shawn Mendes to celebrate the latest winners of his five prizes, which reward innovative and groundbreaking ideas to tackle the planet's problems. The prizes, worth $1.3 million each, will be handed out to the winning innovators, selected from a group of finalists who have encouraged the prince with "their energy and momentum."

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Brazil is an important nation to host the occasion. It is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and hosts half of the crucially important ecosystem of the Amazon rainforest. But it is also home to what Prince William's office calls "innovators and indigenous communities who are at the forefront" of the battle to counter some of the world's pressing issues.

Rio is the latest international city to host the awards, which began in London in 2021. That event was followed by festivities in Boston, Singapore and last year's ceremony in Cape Town. William's visit to Brazil also marks the first time he has been to Latin America on official business.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”