A "hint" dropped online has raised royal fans' hopes that Princess Catherine will join Prince William for the 2026 Earthshot Prize Awards. The Prince of Wales will be in Mumbai, India, for the glitzy ceremony on November 17 where he will be joined by Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and actor Alia Bhatt, among others. The prize website said more stars would be announced, leading some to speculate the Princess of Wales may join her husband.
Fans speculate over Catherine's attendance
A royal fan, quoted by Hello! magazine, said: "Will Catherine be the fifth person to present an award at the Earthshot Prize Ceremony in Mumbai?" Another admirer said: "I hope so!"
It is not the first time royal watchers have speculated about Catherine making an appearance. Sources told The Mirror in August that the princess was set to join William at this year's Earthshot Prize Awards. The publication's royal editor, Russell Myers said: "Following her successful return to international duties this year, which included her visit to Reggio Emilia in Italy for her early years research, Catherine is very much looking forward to attending the Earthshot Awards in India alongside her husband."
Second overseas trip since diagnosis
If Princess Catherine were to attend the awards it would mark her second official overseas trip since she announced her cancer diagnosis in March 2024. She shared the news of her being in remission in a social media post in January the following year.
Catherine has attended two Earthshot Prize Awards. She was at the inaugural ceremony in London in 2021 and joined William in Boston for the second event where she famously wore a rented, green designer dress in support of environmentally-friendly fashion. The future queen missed ceremonies in Singapore, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro.
Catherine's past Earthshot speech
At the inaugural ceremony, Catherine delivered a speech as she presented an award to Costa Rica. She told an audience of millions that nature is vital to everyone, but our wild places have been neglected for too long. The princess added: "If we don't act now, we will permanently destabilise our planet and we will rob our children of the future they deserve."
William and Catherine, who were then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, visited India and Bhutan over seven days in 2016. The royal couple visited Mumbai's Banganga water tank where they placed flower petals in the water and visited a slum in the city.
Previous India visit and this year's ceremony
The Waleses also took part in a cricket game with pupils from Dilip Vengsarkar academy at the Oval Maidan ground in Mumbai where Catherine appeared to delight in the sport. Further events included laying a wreath to honour soldiers from Indian regiments who served in World War One at the India Gate war memorial and paid their respects to Mahatma Gandhi at Old Birla House in New Delhi, where the independence leader was killed.
And in a poignant reminder of Diana, Princess of Wales, William and Catherine sat together on the bench at the Taj Mahal where the prince's mother was pictured sitting alone in 1992, just before her marriage to King Charles, then Prince of Wales, broke down.
This year's Earthshot Awards night will culminate in five finalists winning £1million to boost the impact of their projects tackling today's environmental challenges. The ceremony will be streamed on Prime Video across more than 240 countries and territories, according to the organisers.
There are five categories: protect and restore nature, clean our air, revive our oceans, build a waste-free world and fix our climate. Jason Knauf, Chief Executive of the Earthshot Prize, said: "Mumbai will be the biggest and best Earthshot Prize Awards Night yet, a celebration of environmental leadership with an extraordinary line-up of stars."
