It’s been a busy week for Prince William, who has been on-site in Rio De Janeiro to host the fifth annual Earthshot Prize awards. The star-studded ceremony took place last night with appearances by Shawn Mendes, Kylie Minogue, even Tom Cruise. Still, it was a reflective shot of Prince William standing solo, captured on video and posted to Kensington Palace’s official Instagram account, that most caught my eye.
Kensington Palace Posts Gorgeous Video of Prince William Standing Alone in the Shadows Offstage
He looks so reflective
Published Nov 6, 2025
•8:11pm
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
As a whole, the video features a range of footage taken during the event. Throughout, the Prince of Wales is pictured welcoming the crowds, followed by a series of on-stage and behind-the-scenes moments with presenters and guests. But in the very first few seconds, we get a quick glimpse of William standing in the shadows right as he’s about to walk on stage. In it, he adjusts his bow tie and appears to inhale and exhale quickly right before showtime. It’s quiet, but also speaks to the energy expected of him as emcee of the night.
After that, it’s full steam ahead for the Prince of Wales. He goes on to open the celebration with a Portuguese greeting—“Boanoite e bem-vindos!”—before praising the finalists not just for their ideas, but for the hope they generate as they work to find a solution for the planet’s most pressing environmental problems.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Last night officially marked the halfway point for the Earthshot Prize, which is a decade-long initiate dreamed up by William to help shine a spotlight on the urgent efforts required to combat climate change.
The montage video offers a fun peek at the best moments from the night. But it’s also rather endearing to see William steal even a moment for himself ahead of such a high-stakes event.
