Prince Harry promotes Britain on visit to Brazil ahead of London Olympics

Britain's Prince Harry, right, walks past a samba drumer upon his arrival at the Sugar Loaf mountain cable car station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday March 9, 2012. Harry is in Brazil at the request of the British government on a trip to promote ties and emphasize the transition from the upcoming 2012 London Games to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

RIO DE JANEIRO — Prince Harry launched a high-profile campaign in Brazil Friday to promote all things British ahead of the 2012 London summer Olympics on his first visit to the South American economic power.

Making his first solo tour, he flew into the “Marvellous City” earlier in the day for a three-day official visit following his tour of Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica. He was escorted to a hotel in Copacabana.

The third in line to the British throne then had lunch in a local steakhouse before being treated to a 30-minute helicopter tour of the city’s major tourist attractions, including Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer, the imposing statue of Jesus Christ overlooking the spectacular Rio bay, local television reported.

Prince Harry later strolled along Ipanema beach, then joined festivities including samba dance and capoeira martial art presentations, before kicking off the Britain promotion campaign from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain.

The campaign aimed to highlight what makes Britain great in 2012 as the European island nation celebrates 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and hosts the summer Olympics.

Prince Harry was greeted at the event by Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, Rio State Governor Sergio Cabral as well as by the Samba band Uniao da Ilha, which paraded at this year’s Rio Carnival to the theme of London to Rio, the two cities which will respectively host the 2012 and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The campaign was also conceived to deliver long-term economic benefits from the interest generated by the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Britain is the fourth largest foreign investor in Brazil and the event showcased many of the top British businesses operating in the country, including BP.

Last December, Latin America’s dominant power displaced Britain as the world’s sixth largest economy.

More than 700 top investors, artists, cultural leaders, entrepreneurs and opinion-makers from across Brazil were invited to the event, which also celebrated the strong ties between Britain and Brazil.

Guests were to enjoy an exclusive menu prepared by top British and Brazilian chefs Marcus Wareing and Roberta Sudbrack, while a cocktail designed specifically for the event by Claridge’s hotel was to be served in a bar created by London’s renowned Groucho Club.

On Saturday, Prince Harry was to attend a British and Brazilian-themed sports day on Flamengo beach and tour a favela complex pacified by security forces since November 2010, according to city officials.

On Sunday, the prince was to take part in a polo match in Sao Paulo to raise money for Sentabale, his charity in Lesotho, and several local charities.

His tour is one of several being made by British royals in 2012 as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Harry’s older brother Prince William and his wife Catherine are to travel to the Asia-Pacific region, while heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will visit countries including Australia and Canada.