PA MediaThe Prince of Wales posed for selfies with locals, cuddled a baby, and planted new trees during a visit to Paqueta, an island a ferry away from Rio de Janeiro.
Prince William is in Brazil to present the Earthshot Prize, the annual award from the charity he set up, on Wednesday.
He is also scheduled to give a speech at next week’s COP30, the UN’s annual climate meeting where governments discuss how to limit and prepare for further climate change, the following day.
The future king is two days into his five-day visit to the country, which started on Monday with an honour from the capital’s mayor, a trip to Sugarloaf Mountain, and training drills with children at the famous Maracana Stadium.
Prince William’s visit is the most significant royal engagement he will make this year and also mark the first time he will be seen representing the Royal Family since the crisis surrounding his uncle Andrew.
PA MediaOn Tuesday, he took a 50-minute ferry ride to Paqueta, where there are no private cars and bicycles are the main mode of transport.
There, he greeted residents and learned about the island’s mangrove habitats.
Dozens of islanders waited behind barriers to welcome Prince William, with one woman thrusting her baby grandson Joaquim Monteiro into his arms.
Cuddling the 10-month-old, the prince joked that she “mustn’t drop him”, before returning him into the embrace of his grandmother.
Andre Luis Junior, a teacher and the baby’s cousin, said they were all “so happy he chose this very small island”, explaining that they are “very unique in the heart of Rio”.
The island – which has around 5,000 residents – declared it a Day of the Prince, and gave children time off of school to see him, armed with gifts of colourful drawings.
PA MediaThe future king also spoke to local residents, with retired lawyer Glaucia Martinez, 60, saying he asked her about Paqueta.
“I said that it’s safe, it’s charming, and it’s a good place to live,” she said, adding that they all “live in peace”.
“People here, they are good, good people, you know, honest people”, she told the prince, before expressing her love for the Princess of Wales.
“And I said that I love Kate.”
PA MediaLater, the future king took a boat tour of the Guapimirim mangrove area, which is a preserved and protected area of natural beauty in the country’s Guanabara Bay.
Paqueta’s mayor Rodrigo Toledo said it was “very important ” for the prince to visit because the island is “totally dedicated to environmental protection and we know that Prince William has dedicated his life to this agenda”.
Mangroves have a range of environmental benefits, including storing carbon and helping to mitigate storms by acting as a buffer zone.
Toledo added that the mangroves are cared for by a team of local residents known as the “Guardians of the Mangroves”.
One of those guardians who helped Prince William plant new trees, said it was a “privilege” to host him.
Eugenia Maria Dos Santos said “the most important thing for me is his humility”.
“So many people think they are better than others but the prince has come here and used his own hands to plant the mangroves.”
Prince William will be concluding his Brazil visit with his COP30 appearance in Belem, in the Amazon rainforest.
It marks the first time he has travelled internationally for a COP summit, with his father, King Charles III, having previously paved the way for the royals.
The prince accompanied his father to the summit when it was held in Glasgow in 2021, two weeks after the first Earthshot Prize.
The prize annually awards a £1m grant in five different categories for projects that aim to repair the world’s climate – and the prince has committed himself to it for 10 years, with Rio marking a halfway point for the venture.