The raid against the Red Command drug trafficking gang saw thousands of officers battle heavily armed men who dropped explosives on police from drones.

The Prince of Wales will begin his first tour of Brazil to stage his Earthshot Prize by taking in some of Rio de Janeiro’s attractions. William will visit the city’s Maracana stadium and join school children taking part in football drills with former Brazilian defender Marcos Evangelista de Morais,

Prince William kicked off his second day in Brazil on the island of Paquetá, where locals came out to meet him — including a 10-month-old baby who was held by the royal.

The extraordinarily bloody episode shocked Rio, a city that is no stranger to scenes of gangs battling the police and each other. It also rattled Brazil just as the Latin American nation prepares to welcome delegations from around the world for the UN climate change conference, with events planned in Rio and the Amazonian city of Belem.

The Prince of Wales was welcomed to Rio de Janeiro with an honour reserved for the carnival king – the keys to the city. William stood on top of Sugarloaf Mountain with a bird’s eye view of the metropolis and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue after being greeted by the Mayor of Rio Eduardo Paes.

Prince William was welcomed to Brazil at Sugarloaf Mountain, where he received the keys to the city of Rio de Janeiro ahead of his Earthshot Prize awards evening on Nov. 5.