Kate Middleton will not accompany Prince William to Brazil for the Earthshot Prize presentation on November 5, with her absence attributed to a combination of personal and family reasons. The Earthshot Prize, a global initiative championed by William to find effective environmental solutions, will be held this year in Rio de Janeiro.
While Kate has attended the event in the past, including the 2021 inaugural ceremony in London and the 2022 event in Boston, she missed the 2023 ceremony in Singapore to support Prince George during his school exams. Last year, she also missed the awards in South Africa due to her cancer diagnosis and treatment.
This year, Kate’s decision to skip the Earthshot Prize ceremony has to do with her ongoing recovery from cancer, as well as the focus on her role as mother to their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – during their mid-term break. The family are also preparing for a major move from their current home, Adelaide Cottage, to a larger residence, Forest Lodge, within the Windsor Great Park estate.
The Wales family consider Forest Lodge their “forever home”, and plan to make it their base even as William’s future as king looms. Despite Kate’s absence, William will be joined by a prestigious awards council for the ceremony, including Gisele Bündchen, Sir David Attenborough, Cate Blanchett, José Andrés and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. After the awards ceremony, he will attend the United Nations climate conference in Belém, Brazil, on November 6.
