Prince William spotted breaking major royal protocol after landing in Rio

Prince William has been accused of breaking royal protocol as soon as he touched down in Rio yesterday (3 November).

The Prince of Wales, 43, is in Brazil for five days, marking his first trip to the country to stage his Earthshot Prize in Rio and join world leaders at the COP30 global climate change summit in Belem in the Amazon.

He got a very royal welcome to Rio de Janeiro as he was bestowed with an honour usually reserved for the carnival king - the keys to the city.

The royal has packed a whole load into his first day already as William took a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain with a bird’s eye view of the metropolis and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue after being greeted by the Mayor of Rio Eduardo Paes.

He also squeezed in the time to play barefoot volleyball on an iconic Brazilian beach and even scored a penalty playing football in the world famous Maracana stadium.

Some lucky royal family fans bagged selfies with Prince William in Rio (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Mayor Paes said: "He was very nice, amazed with the beauty of the city, and we are very happy to have him here. It’s big honour for the city."

He joked: "So he’s got the keys, he can do whatever he wants in the next 72 hours. The city belongs to Prince William. I’m still the king, but it will belong to him!”

The Mayor continued: "I spoke a lot, I try to explain to him the security issue of the city a little bit. I mean, obviously, it’s much more deep than something that you can explain in five minutes, but it was a good opportunity to explain."

However, the moment eagle-eyed fans have picked up was when William was greeting fans after touching down in Rio.

Crowds had gathered for the chance to meet the Prince of Wales, with many royal fans attempting to shake hands with the Prince or even get a selfie.

One video that's done the rounds on social media shows a few fans turning their phones around to sneak in a quick selfie, with William leaning in and grinning for the snaps.

The royal family have reportedly traditionally maintained a 'no selfies rule' - something that has only started changing in recent times.

William and his wife Kate Middleton have embraced a cheeky selfie for some time now, replacing the late Queen Elizabeth II’s strict no picture stance with a more willing approach.

Crowds lined the streets to greet the Prince of Wales (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

As per Cosmopolitan, Reuters royal expert said of the topic: "It's not usually appropriate to do so. So if you do want to take a photograph, ask their permission first, possibly get somebody else to take a photograph, but it's important to respect that person's personal space."

The publication also reports that Meghan Markle, back when she was a working royal, once said: "We're not allowed to do selfies," when asked by a fan during an engagement.

One of the lucky fans who bagged a selfie with William later posted it on Twitter alongside a very excited caption, reading: "WILLIAM, YOU WERE SO AMAZING AND KIND! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR THE BEST SELFIE OF MY LIFE."

She later added in a second post: "I couldn’t say anything to him, i was so nervous. I just said hi he held my hand and said 'nice to meet you,' and then HE WAITED for me to take the selfie and put his hand on my shoulder."

Others penned in the replies: "He does his mother and grandparents proud" and "He is so good. What a King he will be."