Prince William recreates Princess Diana’s portrait, and goals, in Brazil

Prince William just posed at the landmark statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, mirroring his mother, Princess Diana’s portrait at the same spot more than three decades ago.

Not only did the former Princess of Wales had travelled to Brazil in 1991 for the similar environmental causes that her son has, she was accompanying Charles, her husband at the time, who was then the Prince of Wales — a title represented by William today.

As the future sovereign carries the torch his parents once held, it is also a moment of reflection at how little things have changed when it comes to climate issues.

‘No better place to celebrate bold climate leadership’

Ahead of flying to Brazil, Prince William had said, “With the world’s eyes turning to Brazil this week, there is no better place to celebrate bold climate leadership.”

As the UN’s 30th annual climate summit, COP30, is scheduled to begin in Brazil soon, it is important to note just how much — or how little — distance has been covered on the environmental stage between William and his parents’ time in the country.

According to a 1991 report by the Universal Press International (UPI), Charles and Diana’s trip to the South American state was “billed as a mission of environmental cooperation between Brazil and Britain, which has been intensified since they signed an agreement in 1989 to work closely on environmental issues.”

The five-day tour began on Earth Day that year and served as a significant precursor to Rio-92, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, June 1992 — the first of its kind. 34 years later, climate change is only being observed at more of such conferences.

UPI had further noted “the rapid deforestation of the Amazon rain forest” as one of the primary issues facing our planet at the time. The issue continues to persist, despite the arrangement of multiple summits to focus on containing the problem.

William ‘struck by the number of people’ who remember his mother

During his latest trip, Prince William has reportedly received a lot of affection from those who “fondly remember” his mother’s legacy.

“The Prince has loved meeting so many people from across Rio over the last few days. He’s been incredibly struck by the number of people who fondly remember his mother’s visit to this beautiful city,” a spokesperson for Kensington Palace shared.

Prince of Wales meets Earthshot finalists

During his moment at the Christ monument, Prince William also met with the finalists of Earthshot Prize Awards, set to be observed today.

According to The Telegraph, “The winners will be named in five categories, or Earthshots – protect and restore nature; clean our air; revive our oceans; build a waste-free world; and fix our climate.”