Prince William, 43, may have been focused on the Earthshot Prize, but he still took time to celebrate a special birthday. On Nov. 5, the Prince of Wales hit the green carpet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the fifth edition of the prestigious Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
During the event, Shawn Mendes shared the reaction of his mother, Karen, to the surprise cake sent by William.
“She’s still shaking, thank you,” Mendes told the prince in a video captured by PEOPLE’s Chief Foreign Correspondent, Simon Perry.
Star-Studded Performances at the Museum of Tomorrow
Mendes, 27, performed at the ceremony alongside fellow artists Anitta, Seu Jorge, and Kylie Minogue. He warmly greeted Prince William both during rehearsals earlier in the day and on the green carpet at the big night.
The awards ceremony celebrated the Earthshot Prize’s mission to inspire solutions to the world’s most urgent environmental challenges over the next decade. Over 2,400 solutions were submitted this year across five flagship sectors:
- Protect and Restore Nature
- Clean Our Air
- Revive Our Oceans
- Build a Waste-Free World
- Fix Our Climate
Winners receive $1.3 million each to support innovative environmental solutions.
Rio Mayor Welcomes Prince William
Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, spent much of the last few days accompanying Prince William. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, he praised the heir to the throne:
“He’s an amazing guy. It’s been very nice to see. He took everyone’s heart in Rio and we’re very proud to have him here. I told him he could have the Earthshot Prize every year in Rio, it would be amazing.”
Paes added, “It is such an important discussion. In a moment when Brazil is playing an important role in this issue.”
Prince William’s visit highlighted both celebrity engagement and global environmental leadership, combining star-studded performances with meaningful recognition of individuals driving positive change for the planet.
