Prince William is currently in Brazil preparing to host the Earthshot Prize, an initiative he set up in 2020 which awards grants to those tackling environmental challenges. The Prince of Wales landed in Rio on Monday and has already made a number of stops – including a visit to Sugarloaf Mountain and a game of volleyball on Copacabana Beach.
The ceremony is set to take place later today, but William’s visit to Brazil coincides with another royal trip. Following his arrival in Rio, Prince Harry shared that he would also be travelling overseas; he’ll be in Canada to meet with veterans and military personnel for Remembrance week. However, the timing of Harry’s announcement led to a wave of online criticism, with some claiming that he was ‘upstaging’ his estranged older brother. But in a surprising move, a spokesperson issued a statement to the Daily Mail in response to the growing backlash.
They explained that the events were ‘planned nearly a year ago’ and that ‘the date of the main event, the dinner, is set by the charity, not Prince Harry’. The rep added: “The period of Remembrancetide traditionally extends from the 1-11 November and has done since 1918, over 100 years. He can’t choose to move those dates.”
The spokesperson also claimed that Harry is ‘not afforded the same level of security and protection as other working members of the royal family’, stating: “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.”
The Duke of Sussex released a personal essay this morning about what it means to him to be British, which some have called an ‘olive branch’ to William – speculating that it could have been released early in order to avoid any more clashes with royal scheduling. Prince Harry and King Charles have been working to mend their relationship in recent months, and the estranged father and son spent time together in September – reportedly the first time they have seen one another since February 2024.