Prince William has found himself at the center of an online debate after photos of him enjoying a game of beach volleyball in Brazil went viral — just days after Buckingham Palace announced that his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, had been formally stripped of his royal titles and honors.

The Palace confirmed on 30 October that Andrew, formerly known as Prince Andrew, would lose all official styles and privileges following renewed allegations over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,” read the statement. “Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.”

The Palace added that Andrew’s lease on Royal Lodge, which had provided him with legal protections to remain in residence, would also be terminated. “Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation,” the statement continued.

Just days after that announcement, the Prince of Wales was photographed smiling and laughing as he joined a friendly volleyball match on Rio de Janeiro’s famous Copacabana Beach. The game took place on Monday, 3 November, as part of his official visit to Brazil for the annual Earthshot Awards and the upcoming COP30 UN climate conference.

Earlier in the week, William had kicked off his trip with a penalty shootout at Rio’s Maracana Stadium before engaging with local youth and environmental leaders.

However, his lighthearted beach outing divided opinion online.

“Shame on William. His only role is to protect his subjects, not strut on the world stage,” one critic wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Another added: “William’s got sand between his toes, but I’m still trying to figure out why anyone cares about some rich dude’s vacation plans.”

Others came to his defense, calling the backlash unnecessary. “Prince William playing volleyball is so fun to watch,” one fan posted. “He looks so happy — it’s nice to see him relaxed after everything his family has been through.” Another admirer commented, “He’s clearly connecting with people and enjoying himself. Good for him.”

The friendly game was part of a broader effort to highlight community initiatives ahead of this week’s environmental events — but with royal tensions already running high, even a casual day on the beach proved enough to set the internet talking.