Prince William recreates iconic Princess Diana photo at Christ the Reedemer

Prince William recreated an iconic picture of his late mother, Princess Diana, at Christ the Redeemer this morning. Stood at the vantage point atop Corcovado mountain, which offers sweeping views of Rio de Janeiro, William posed for a photo in the same spot his mother stood over 30 years ago.

The popular tourist hotspot had been shut to visitors for the prince's engagement this morning, meeting the 2025 Earthshot Finalists at the top of the statue. Diana, Princess of Wales, visited the Brazilian city in April 1991, alongside her then-husband, Prince Charles.

She posed for several images at one of the modern seven wonders of the world, with the striking Sugarloaf Mountain, where William visited on Monday, in the background.

Diana wore a striking dress with a patterned top, broken up by a green waistband and a white skirt. The former Prince and Princess of Wales undertook a five-day official visit to Brazil but embarked on largely separate itineraries. Diana focused on social and health issues, while Charles spent time on environmental issues.

The Prince of Wales was reunited with the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, this morning as they walked up to the vantage point of the iconic statue together. At the top, William chatted to the First Lady, Cristine de Souza Assed Paes, the Vice Mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, and his wife, Victoria de Araujo Cavaliere.

However, the star of the show was two-month-old Maria Beatriz, known as Mabe. The baby, who had a pink bow tied around her head, clung to the prince's finger as he said hello, and asked her parents: "Is she sleeping well? That is always key at the start!"

The father of three then commented on Mabe's "tight grip" and said to the Deputy Mayor: "This must be her first time up here as well." Before moving out to speak to the five groups of Earthshot Finalists, William told the proud parents: "Very pretty, very sweet."

After his visit, a Kensington Palace spokesman told the travelling media: "The Prince has loved meeting so many people from across Rio over the last few days. He's been incredibly struck by the number of people who fondly remember his mother's visit to this beautiful city."

William's visit comes ahead of the fifth annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony being held at the Museum of Tomorrow this evening. The show will be hosted by Brazilian broadcaster Luciano Huck and will see Prince William award another £5million to five different environmental initiatives to grow their ideas on a larger scale in a bid to save the planet.

The awards will also be attended by a number of famous faces, including sports stars Marcos Evangelista de Morais, better known as Cafu, and Sebastian Vettel, a four-time Formula One world champion.

There will also be musical performances from artists such as Kylie Minogue and Grammy-nominated singer, Shawn Mendes.

Brazilian music star and former Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil, will also take to the stage with up-and-coming country woman Anitta and Seu Jorge. She said: "Brazil - I'm coming back! It's a privilege and honour to be part of The Earthshot Prize in Rio - on stage with the people and the ideas that could save our planet."

Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey also voiced an awards trailer called Meet the World's True Action Heroes, featuring the 15 finalists and showcasing their solutions.