'Hypocrite and Out of Touch': Prince William Slammed For Flying On a Plane to Attend Climate Change Award

Prince William has come under heavy criticism after travelling roughly 8,800 kilometres on a plane to Brazil for the Earthshot Prize ceremony.

Although the Prince reportedly flew commercially with the support of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, social media erupted over the optics of his journey.

Critics argue that attending a climate event while regularly associated with high-emission travel sends mixed messages, especially with the ongoing debates of private jet use within the royal family.

Prince William's 'Questionable' Climate Leadership

The Earthshot Prize, which awards £1 million ($1.2 million) to five global initiatives tackling climate change, is intended to celebrate and inspire solutions worldwide.

This year, Rio de Janeiro hosted the event ahead of the COP30 climate conference, positioning the Prince as a figurehead for international environmental advocacy.

Social media users, however, focused on the irony of his travel, suggesting that the Prince's journey appeared 'detached from reality' and inconsistent with his messaging on carbon footprints.

The criticism echoes long-running debates over Prince Harry's jet usage, with commentators emphasising that high-profile figures, especially the Royal family, must model the behaviour they advocate.

Prince Harry reportedly took multiple flights for personal travel and events, some of which were uncovered by media investigations. Both he and Meghan have defended their travel as necessary for security reasons and time constraints. After the backlash, the couple has snuck into a commercial plane to silence criticisms.

For official engagements abroad, members of the Royal family, like King Charles and even former Prince Andrew, have sometimes flown on private or chartered planes. Similar to Harry and Meghan's reasons, the justification is often security, scheduling, or protocol.

'Hypocrisy': VIP Flights, Deforestation For Climate Change Conference

Social media posts connected William's visit to concerns about climate hypocrisy.

Users pointed out the environmental impact of the COP30 conference itself, where hundreds of VIP flights from across the world converge in Brazil to discuss emission reduction. Critics argued that the spectacle undermined the purpose of climate summits.

One post controversially claimed that the Prince's presence indirectly contributed to thirteen kilometres of the Amazon being destroyed for this 'entitled lazy man' to come lecture and take pics on the beach.

The upcoming COP30 climate summit has had an impact on the Amazon rainforest, but not in a positive way. While the summit aims to advance global climate solutions, preparations are already causing deforestation and infrastructure strains in the region.

According to NY Post, a new four-lane highway cutting through protected rainforest was accelerated ahead of COP30, prompting concerns that the event meant to protect the Amazon may instead be speeding up its destruction.

Construction of temporary facilities to host delegates further disturbed local ecosystems, displacing wildlife in the area.

Environmentalists warn that while the summit promotes climate action globally, its immediate footprint on the Amazon already undermines its conservation goals.

Royal Family Under Fire

Despite backlash, organisers emphasise that William's attendance supports global climate innovation, with initiatives that could meaningfully reduce emissions.

The ceremonial handing over of Rio's symbolic keys to the Prince gives him the role of a climate ambassador, intended to inspire awareness and actions.

However, to worsen the issue, the controversy of William's trip has also coincided with ongoing scrutiny of the royal family, particularly regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's past encounters linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

Royal observers suggested that the optics of the Prince's Brazil journey have only further amplified criticism of the monarchy, showing the fragile public trust surrounding the family's image.