Prince William cuddles babies and takes selfies as he’s mobbed by screaming fans

Prince William was greeted with screams of “welcome to Brazil” as he toured the island of Paqueta close to Rio de Janeiro as he posed for selfies and held hands with locals

Prince William managed to catch a baby who was thrust towards him during a walkabout in Brazil, joking that they “mustn’t drop him!” before giving him a cuddle.

It came as the prince was mobbed by locals taking selfies and handing babies over for him to cuddle after he sailed to the Brazilian island of Paqueta on board a Brazilian Navy speed boat on the second day of his South America trip. The Prince of Wales was greeted with screams of “welcome to Brazil” ahead of his tour of island a hour from Rio de Janeiro. William is in Rio this week to celebrate and host his Earthshot Prize environmental awards, taking place in Latin America for the first time.

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As part of his three-day tour of Rio, the future king travelled to Paqueta to hear about the efforts of locals battling to protect their environment, helping to clean and protect the region’s waters and wildlife.

The tiny island, home to less than 4,000 people, is the birthplace of Brazilian and West Ham footballer Lucas Paqueta, a hero to the local community. During a walkabout baby Joaquim Monteiro, ten months old, was held by William who asked his grandmother “what’s his name?” and “how old is he?”.

Holding him with the confidence of a father of three young children, William said: “Bless him” before handing him back to his grandmother Christina.

William helped several young children come to the front of the walkabout, bending down to be in photographs with them and occasionally borrowing a phone to take the selfie himself.

The island, which has around 5,000 residents, has declared the visit “The Day of the Prince”, with children clamouring to be off school to see him.

Many had created colourful drawings to hand over to him, calling him “Prince of the Island” and the visit “Prince Day”. Paqueta has never had a visit from the British Royal family before.

Asked about any previous royal visitors, one local looked back to 1555 when the Portugeuse Crown landed. Marcel Gomes de Castro, 12, gave the Prince two of his best paintings: one seascape and one of a naval boat in the small harbour.

His father Alan said he had finished them two years ago, but that they were so special he wanted to give it as a gift for the Prince. “It’s a welcome for William, he wanted to give a gift!” said Alan. “Everyone here is very excited.”

Retired lawyer Glaucia Martinez, 60, repeatedly touched William’s hand as he quizzed her about life on Paqueta where she lives. The 60-year-old said: “He asked me about the island and I said that it’s safe, it’s charming, and it’s a good place to live. People here, they are good, good people, you know, honest people, and we live in peace here. And I said that I love Kate.”

William was heard to say “obrigago” and “bom gia” on repeat, clasping his hands in a signed thank you in lieu of not understanding much of the Portugeuse being spoken.

For parts of the walkabout, he called over a translator to understand short conversations. Meeting a travelling school group, he joked that the “teachers are noisier than the kids” to uproarous laughter.

Among the local residents who chatted to the prince was Felicity Clarke, 42, from Stoke on Trent, who works at the University of Rio de Janeiro and her friend Luciana Meireles, 40, whose husband Damian is from Manchester.

“I never thought that he would really come,” said Luciana. “I just went into the shop to get, you know, some stuff for breakfast. And then I saw people here and was like, okay, so it’s actually happening. It’s always good to know that people are talking about Paqueta. It’s just like a really small place, quiet place, so it’s something out of the ordinary, in the middle of the week on a Tuesday morning.”

William also chatted to Edinburgh-born schoolboy Lucas McGeogh, whose father Graham, from Glasgow, also teaches at the university, and mother Telma, is from São Paulo. “Do you know Aston Villa?” the Prince asked. Speaking afterwards, Lucas said: “It was good, I was a bit nervous. I told him my favourite team is Fluminense.” Lucas, who took a morning off school to see William, added: “It was really exciting.”

As part of celebrating and hosting his Earthshot environmental awards, William will later today announce a new initiative for those defending the Amazon in a speech at his United for Wildlife’s annual summit in Brazil.

United for Wildlife is an umbrella group working to end the illegal wildlife trade and William will tell delegates about the new initiative for indigenous people and indigenous environmental defenders in Brazil.

William said: “Indigenous peoples and local communities have long been protectors of the world’s most critical ecosystems. 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.

“Building on the success of our ranger support package, we’re extending this with a new partnership to protect and assist Brazil’s frontline defenders.”

The Amazon is facing deforestation from sectors including agriculture, logging and mining, as well as wildlife trafficking and the building of roads and dams, while those who seek to protect its environment are targeted.

The new initiative aims to build on a ranger insurance package William announced at last year’s Earthshot Prize in South Africa and extend the prince’s commitment to those risking their lives to protect nature.

The five-year financial package, in partnership with Tusk Trust and the Game Ranger Association of Africa, was established to provide 10,000 rangers with access to affordable in-service and medical evacuation insurance cover. One year into the rollout, the programme is insuring more than 6,000 rangers across Africa.

Kylie Minogue and Canadian singer Shawn Mendes are some of the global stars who will be performing at this year’s Earthshot Prize ceremony, including Brazilian music icon and former minister of culture Gilberto Gil. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will join William at the star-studded event, where the prince will give the key-note speech, before both men gather with world leaders at COP30 in Belem.