The moment Prince William refused to mention the Andrew scandal and the rift between Harry and Meghan as he told CNN: “I want to be around people who want to do good.”
Prince William has skillfully declined to discuss the Royal Family’s current public struggles—instead speaking about his desire to be surrounded by those who “want to do good.”
The Prince of Wales refused to be drawn into the controversies caused by his uncle Andrew and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a “fireside chat” with CNN during his trip to Brazil for the Earthshot Prize awards.
Veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour asked the heir to the throne about his recent comments regarding his pursuit of “positive change” when he ascends to the throne. Ms. Amanpour pointed to William’s recent interview on Apple TV with Eugene Levy and asked if he could elaborate on those comments, “given that your family has seen many changes recently.”
However, William dismissed the clear prompt regarding the decision to strip Andrew of his titles and home, as well as the rift with Harry and Meghan following Megxit. Without hesitation, he chose to focus on Earthshot and praised the “brilliant people in this room,” calling them “action heroes” and declaring: “Change will come from supporting them, not from what I do.”
Responding to cheers from the audience, he added: “I want to be around people who want to make a difference and do good for the world.”
Royal observers have praised his decision to remain silent. One commenter noted: “Unlike Harry, William does not air family business in public.”
Prince William participated in a ‘fireside chat’ at Earthshot in Brazil but dodged questions about the Royal Family.
The Prince of Wales said he wants to focus on the changes made by others—not himself.
In the “fireside chat” with CNN’s Ms. Amanpour, William, 43, spoke about remaining optimistic for his children and young people around the world—rather than focusing on his family.
William spoke as he prepared for the Earthshot awards ceremony, where stars like Shawn Mendes and Kylie Minogue arrived in support. During the conversation, William shared his positive outlook toward his children and the global youth.
He said: “You have to have the leadership and the vision that good things will happen and it’s not all negative. And particularly for my children, I like to tell them that the planet will be better and healthier because of the people in this room when they go to sleep—that will be wonderful, their future will be as bright as those that have passed, and that’s a really important message we all need to hear.”
He added: “A world without hope and a world without positivity is a pretty depressing place.”
Hours later, stars gathered on the green carpet on Wednesday night for Prince William’s glittering Earthshot Prize Awards. This came as Prince Harry denied deliberately trying to overshadow Prince William by revealing his own pseudo-royal visit to Canada just as his older brother landed in Brazil for his five-day Earthshot Prize tour.
The royal brothers, pictured in 2018, have a long-reported rift which shows no sign of abating.
Andrew’s loss of titles has been driven through by William and the King.
The clash was labeled “predictable” by one royal expert, but the Duke of Sussex’s spokesman pushed back against any suggestion that the announcement was about sibling rivalry. In a statement, Harry’s team blamed the timing on the fact that he is “not afforded the same level of security and protection as other working members of the Royal Family.”
“It means therefore, that the period of time in which we can release details of events is much more truncated than it is for His Majesty the King or the Prince of Wales,” his spokesman added.
The Prince of Wales landed in Rio de Janeiro on Monday to mark the fifth anniversary of his environmental award, the Earthshot Prize. But as William began his first engagement at Sugarloaf Mountain, his younger brother’s office in California announced a trip to Canada this week ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
On Wednesday night, the Prince of Wales attended the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly at Pier 3, part of the three-day Earthshot summit in Rio, to see prizes handed out to groundbreaking environmental initiatives—a cause close to his heart.
The event brought together government officials, indigenous leaders, and youth advocates to share inspiring Earthshot stories and highlight investments helping finalists scale their environmental solutions. Global superstars Shawn Mendes and Kylie Minogue answered the heir’s call to headline the awards show.
Dazzling Kylie, 57, said she was wearing a Stella McCartney “rewear” to the event. Caught on a live Sky News broadcast, she also praised Prince William’s Earthshot prize as “amazing people doing incredible things.”
In an impassioned speech on Wednesday night, William said: “I understand that some might feel discouraged in these uncertain times. I understand that there is still so much to be done. But this is no time for complacency, and the optimism I felt in 2020 remains ardent today. Because our finalists are a shining example of how we can build stronger economies, design healthier cities, and create better jobs for the next generation.”
Dazzling Kylie, 57, said she was wearing a Stella McCartney ‘rewear’ to the event.
Global superstars Shawn Mendes and Kylie Minogue pictured with Prince William on the green carpet at The Earthshot Prize Awards 2025 in Rio de Janeiro.
Kylie Minogue, Prince William, and Shawn Mendes at The Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony on Wednesday.
Sir Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband pictured at the event.
The Prince of Wales speaks with Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan at the fifth annual Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony.
He continued: “We can support the dreamers and innovators who work tirelessly to build a more sustainable world. We can protect our beautiful planet for all life that calls it home. The choices we make during this decade will define us… but more importantly, they will define the lives of young people. The future belongs to them.”
Re.green was awarded The Earthshot Prize to Protect and Restore Nature for leading a global movement to restore Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Soon after, football legend Cafu announced The High Seas Treaty as the winner for Revive Our Oceans. The Prize to Build a Waste-Free World went to Lagos Fashion Week, and Friendship secured the Fix Our Climate award. Finally, the city of Bogota was awarded the Prize to Clean Our Air after reducing pollution by 24%.
William arrived at the Museum of Tomorrow wearing a Tom Ford black-tie suit—which was also a “rewear.” On arrival, he was met by host Luciano Huck and viewed local samba dancers. He then walked the green carpet, meeting artists like Anitta, Seu Jorge, Mendes, and Minogue.
Mendes thanked Prince William for the birthday cake arranged for his mother, Karen. William was also introduced to British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, former NZ PM Jacinda Ardern, and Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva.
Following tradition, William was presented with the flag of the Beija-Flor Samba School by artist Selminha Sorriso. He kissed the flag and clasped his hands in thanks. He was escorted by Earthshot CEO Jason Knauf and stopped to speak with 100 local youth invited to attend.
William and the British Prime Minister attend the fifth annual Earthshot Prize Awards.
The Prince of Wales shakes hands with superstar Shawn Mendes at the ceremony.
Jacinda Ardern and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer laugh while attending the ceremony.
Prince William looks energized while attending the ceremony on Wednesday.
Among them was 13-year-old Giovanna Castro, who traveled 130km with her father to meet William, bringing a drawing of him and Kate on their wedding day. The Prince stopped to chat for several minutes and appeared moved by the gift.
“I truly love the royal family; I really appreciate them. This is a very rare opportunity to meet the Prince,” she said before his arrival.
Inside the ceremony, William sat with world leaders and watched performances by Anitta, Gilberto Gil, and Shawn Mendes. William was spotted singing along as Kylie closed the show with a medley of her hits.
After the ceremony, he thanked the performers. “Honestly, thank you so much, everything was wonderful,” the Prince told Kylie, commenting that “everyone was up and dancing.” The singer congratulated him on the ceremony, praising the “energy from the crowd.” William then hinted that Kylie might perform at a future Earthshot ceremony. “Deal,” she replied.
