Prince William makes history by going where no royal has gone before
Topics: Prince William, Royal Family, UK News, News
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Aaron Chown-Pool/Getty Image
Topics: Prince William, Royal Family, UK News, News
The Prince of Wales has embarked on a major monarchical first this week, by venturing to where no other royal has ventured before.
No, he's not been sky-rocketed off to space, or plunged down to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean - but still, it's pretty exciting.
For those who hadn't noticed, Prince William has spent the last few days in Brazil as part of the annual Earthshot Prize.
The project - founded by the royal in 2020, which awards £1 million each to five environmental leaders per year - is being held in the country's capital this week, given Brazil's 'extraordinary biodiversity' and 'vibrant culture'.
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As we say, however, during the expedition, the 43-year-old made history by setting foot on a tiny island, the ground upon which no other member of the Royal Family has tread before.
The land mass in question is Paquetá Island, an island located in Guanabara Bay, the name of which comes from the Tupi word meaning 'many pacas'. These themselves are large, spotted, ground-dwelling rodents native to Central and South America. I know, so cute.
Anyway, the island boasts both a unique history and an unconventional way of living.
Firstly, it's totally auto-free, meaning the only mode of transportation permitted there is bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. Paquetá residents also relish the minuscule population of 3,000 who live across the island's even tinier 1.2km-squared size.
The tiny welcome party also meant that William enjoyed no national anthem upon his arrival, nor did he bear witness to any Union Jack flag-waving. Despite this, residents had flocked on down to the island's central square to welcome the future King of England.
Disembarking his Brazilian navy boat and setting foot onto dry land, William could be heard telling onlookers 'Bom dia' - the Portuguese equivalent to 'Good day'.
He also stopped to shake the hands of some locals, telling them 'Obrigago' ('Thank you') as he walked along.
Officially named the 'Day of the Prince' the one-off celebration saw the Prince seeing first hand how Brazilian citizens are combating against environmental threats, many of which are occurring as a result of global warming.
William also plans to launch a 'protect the protectors' programme, aimed at keeping the world's indigenous communities both safe, and in tune with nature.
"Indigenous peoples and local communities have long been protectors of the world’s most critical ecosystems," he vowed this week.
"But today, their lives are increasingly at risk, and their lands are under mounting threats. If we are serious about tackling the climate crisis and restoring nature, we must stand with those who defend it."