Prince William proved himself as the future king as he expertly avoided what could have been a very awkward moment for him and the Royal Family.
During his 5th annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, November 5, the Prince of Wales deftly sidestepped a question about “change” in the royal family — a topic that seemed to allude to his disgraced uncle, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, recently lost his Prince and Duke of York title over his connections to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The moment came as William sat down with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour for a live interview during the 2025 Earthshot Prize event, where he discussed his global environmental initiative.
During the conversation, the award-winning journalist pressed him on his recent comments about “change” being part of his future plans for the monarchy, which he revealed during his October appearance on Eugene Levy’s The Reluctant Traveler.
Dubbing William’s comments as an attempt to “humanise” the monarchy, Amanpour asked, “Given the fact that there’s been a lot of change in your own family recently… Where do you see the change and what do you think needs to happen?”
But William didn’t take the bait. Instead, His Royal Highness smoothly redirected the question toward his work, replying, “I think the Earthshot Prize is a classic example of change. Rather than talk about it, we’re doing it.” He added, “I want to surround myself with people who want to make change and do good in the world.”
Viewers were quick to praise his composure, applauding him for keeping the focus on his work instead of royal drama.
“Smart enough to recognize a trap when he sees one and neatly sidesteps it,” one fan wrote on X. Another added, “Unlike Harry, William doesn’t air the family laundry in public. He pivoted immediately, redirecting the conversation to his causes… That’s the posture of a statesman. A leader.”