Prince William proves he’s not too posh for a public toilet as he’s spotted using the facilities on Copacabana beach
Prince William has proved he’s not too posh to use a public toilet – winning praise from royal fans for his down-to-earth nature.
The Prince of Wales, 43, embarked on a whirlwind of engagements while in Brazil this week, including a walkabout on Paquetá Island and a visit to the Christ the Redeemer statue.
But between cuddling babies and playing volleyball, William had no qualms whatsoever about using a public toilet on Copacabana beach.
A video shared on social media showed William visiting the facilities in Paquetá , trailed by his bodyguard.
After he left the men’s toilets, he waved to excited onlookers and stopped to shake a young boy’s hand, before asking him which football team he supported.
Royal fans were impressed by how ‘humble’ the Prince was – with many comparing William to his mother, Princess Diana, who visited Rio de Janeiro in 1991 with the now King Charles.
One commenter said on TikTok: ‘Just because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth doesn’t mean he has to be spoiled; he takes after his humble mother.’
‘He is a brilliant human being, just like his mother was,’ another person wrote.
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Prince William, 43, was seen taking a quick toilet break in public facilities while visiting Paquetá Island, located in Guanabara Bay, Brazil
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The heir to the throne showed no hesitation about using the public toilets, prompting praise from royal fans who were impressed by how ‘humble’ he was
A third added: ‘He’s just like his mother, no airs at all.’
Another TikTok user declared: ‘That man is humble and down-to-earth! He’s not pretentious at all!’
William paid tribute to his late mother during his trip when he visited the Christ the Redeemer statue and posed in front of it for a photograph that bore a striking resemblance to one taken of Diana during her visit.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson emphasised in a statement how special the visit was to William.
‘The Prince has loved meeting so many people from across Rio over the last few days,’ the statement read.
‘He’s been incredibly struck by the number of people who fondly remember his mother’s visit to this beautiful city.’
During his walkabout on Paquetá, located in Guanabara Bay, William welcomed a 10-month-old baby that was thrust into his arms and fondly remarked: ‘Bless him.’
Little ten-month-old Joaquim Monteiro appeared happy in William’s arms, as the future King chatted with the child’s grandmother
The Prince also posed for selfies and shook hands with wellwishers who turned out in great numbers to see him, and he helped several young children come to the front of the festivities.
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During his visit to the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, the Prince recreated a photograph of Diana, Princess of Wales, which was taken in 1991 when she visited the country with the then Prince Charles
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The future King had a cuddle with 10-month-old Joaquim Monteiro during his walkabout in Paquetá, located in Guanabara Bay
The historic visit marked the first time a member of the British Royal Family has visited the area, which is made up of some 5,000 residents.
It declared the occasion ‘The Day of the Prince’, with pupils clamouring to be off school for the celebrations. When asked about any previous royal visitors, one local looked back to 1555 – when the Portuguese Crown landed.
William also toured the preserved and protected area of natural beauty in the northeast of Brazil‘s picturesque Guanabara Bay.
Vital for biodiversity, it is the only remaining mangrove area in the bay and has been replanted following deforestation.
Managed by the Chico Mendes institute for Biodiversity Conservation, the area is cleaned and protected by local communities including a ten-strong team of Mangrove ‘Guardians’ from Paquetá.
Visitors can take eco-tours, often by boat, to see the dolphins and learn about restoration projects taking place in the area.
Thousands of mangroves, growing up to 4metres tall have been planted in an area previously devastated by deforestation.
William also threw himself into a game of volleyball on Copacabana beach, where he showed off his impressive physique.
He joined Olympic star Carolina Solberg as he wrapped up his first day in Brazil at sunset and asked the volleyball team to ‘be nice’ as they began playing.
After removing his shoes and socks, William played for ten minutes, at times leaping in the air and taking several tumbles on the sand.
Solberg, who runs a local beach volleyball school for disadvantaged children, called the Levante Institute, praised William’s skills, saying he had ‘a lot of energy’.
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William also impressed onlookers with his physique as he played volleyball on Copacabana beach alongside Olympic star Carolina Solberg
She added: ‘He’s tall. He can hit. I think he could be really good if he practised more. I think he was having fun and was amazing to play with him. It was such a pleasure.’
Earlier it had been hugs and high-fives all round as William celebrated scoring a penalty in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium.
The royal was joined by Brazil legend Cafu for the visit to one of football’s most iconic venues, where they met children learning about the environment and climate change through sport-based organisation Terra FC.
At the prestigious Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, William greeted Kylie Minogue – who took to the stage later that evening – and also posed for a photograph on the green carpet with performer Shawn Mendes.
William arrived at the Museum of Tomorrow wearing a black tie suit by Tom Ford, which was a rewear to tie in with the environmental theme of the awards.
He also met musical artists performing in the Awards including Anitta and Seu Jorge.
British Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer, Jacinda Ardern, former PM of New Zealand, Stephanie Al- Qaq, British Ambassador, Marina Silva, Environment Minister of Brazil, and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also attended the prestigious event.
During a ‘fireside chat’ with CNN presenter Christiane Amanpour, who was anchoring the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, William spoke of being positive for his own children and young people around the world.
He said: ‘You have to provide a leadership and a vision that there’s good things to come and it’s not all negative.
‘And for my children, particularly, knowing that the planet’s going to be in a better, healthier state because of the people in this room is something I love to tell them when they go to bed – it’s going to be great, your future is going to be as bright as futures gone by and that’s a really important message for all us to hear.’
