Prince William Pauses Family Break to Deliver Key Earthshot Prize Update

Prince William briefly paused his half-term break to share an important update.

The Prince of Wales, 41, is currently unwinding after his high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia last week and is expected to be spending the school holiday at home with his wife, Kate, and their children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

However, on Tuesday, William took time during his family break to announce major news concerning one of his most significant initiatives: the future host city for his environmental awards programme, The Earthshot Prize.

It has now been confirmed that the 2026 awards ceremony will take place in Mumbai in November, following previous events held in Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Singapore and London. The occasion will bring together environmental and business leaders driving sustainability efforts in India, a country that has produced more Earthshot Prize finalists and winners than any other nation.

William, founder and president of the Earthshot Prize, stressed the importance of maintaining both urgency and optimism when addressing environmental challenges, expressing his enthusiasm for Mumbai being selected as host city for the 2026 ceremony.

He said: We must continue to look to the future with urgency and optimism, which is why I am delighted that Mumbai will host The Earthshot Prize 2026. India is one of the world’s most important forces for climate and nature. What succeeds in India at scale has the power to inspire progress everywhere.

He also highlighted the energy and potential of India’s young population, noting that their drive can help transform ideas for a better future into real-world action.

As he added: With the largest population of young people in the world, there is a real sense of momentum – to not only imagine a better future, but to inspire change and make it a reality. Together we can rise to meet our greatest challenge, to repair and restore our planet by 2030.

What is Prince William’s Earthshot Prize?

William established the Earthshot Prize in 2020, drawing inspiration from President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 lunar mission challenge, commonly known as the moonshot, which aimed to send a man to the moon within ten years. The initiative was created to identify and expand solutions designed to help repair the planet, with each of the five winning finalists receiving £1 million to further develop their projects.

The awards are presented across five key areas, known as Earthshots: protecting and restoring nature, cleaning the air, reviving the oceans, creating a waste-free world, and tackling climate change.

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Over the past five years, the Earthshot Prize has spotlighted more than 5,600 developing environmental solutions from 156 countries, while distributing £25 million to winning projects to help expand and implement their ideas.

Previous finalists have contributed to the protection and restoration of more than one million square kilometres of land and ocean areas, prevented approximately 250,000 tonnes of waste from ending up in landfills, and helped capture around 4.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The ceremonies are typically high-profile events, previously attended by stars such as Cate Blanchett, David Beckham, Hannah Waddingham, Heidi Klum and Robert Irwin, while musical performances have featured artists including Kylie Minogue and Shawn Mendes. The 2026 awards will highlight 15 pioneering environmental solutions on the global stage.

Ahead of last year’s ceremony in Brazil, William shared in an exclusive interview with HELLO! what motivates the initiative, explaining that his role as a parent strongly shapes his determination to protect the planet’s future.

He said: As a father, I think constantly about the world my children will inherit. I want them to grow up surrounded by nature, opportunity and a sense of hope about the future. But I also know that unless we act boldly now, that future is at risk. The Earthshot Prize is about turning the tide, about proving to our children that we are willing to fight for their tomorrow.

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