Prince William, Kate Middleton arrive in Boston for their first trip abroad since Queen Elizabeth II's death
The Prince and Princess of Wales are in Boston for the Earthshot Prize awards, which was founded by William
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived in Boston Wednesday afternoon for their first trip abroad since Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September and their first trip to the U.S. in eight years.
"Catherine and I are delighted to be back in the United States and are extremely grateful to Governor Baker and The First Lady of Massachusetts for their warm welcome into Boston," William said in a statement after arriving at Boston’s Logan International Airport before 3 p.m. ET.
He added, "On this, our first overseas visit since the death of my grandmother, I would like to thank the people of Massachusetts and particularly of Boston for their many tributes paid to the late Queen."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}William said the queen remembered her 1976 visit to the city during the bicentennial "with great fondness."
Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived in Boston on Wednesday. (Chris Jackson)
Prince William said in a statement, "On this, our first overseas visit since the death of my grandmother, I would like to thank the people of Massachusetts and particularly of Boston for their many tributes paid to the late Queen." (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)
William said the queen remembered her 1976 visit to the city during the bicentennial "with great fondness." (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The royal couple traveled to Boston for William’s Earthshot Prize, which awards grants to people working in environmentalism.
He continued, "My grandmother was one of life's optimists. And so am I. That is why last year we launched the Earthshot Prize with the ambition to create a truly global platform to inspire hope and urgent optimism as we look to save the future of our planet. To the people of Boston, thank you. I’m so grateful to you for allowing us to host the second year of the Earthshot prize in your great city. Catherine and I can’t wait to meet many of you in the days ahead."
The couple flew into the city on British Airways and will be in Boston through Friday when they will announce the Earthshot Prize winners.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The royal couple traveled to Boston for William’s Earthshot Prize, which awards grants to people working in environmentalism. (Getty Images)
Prince William and Kate Middleton walk through Boston's Logan International Airport on Wednesday. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
The couple flew into the city on British Airways and will be in Boston through Friday when they will announce the Earthshot Prize winners. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)
President Biden plans to meet with the royal couple this week, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who said, "The president intends to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales when he is in Boston. We are still finalizing and working through the details, so I don't have any anything more to share, any more specifics to share on that."
The president will be in Boston on Friday for a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reception.
While in Boston, the royal couple will be hosted by Mayor Michelle Wu at Boston Harbor for a tour of the environmental challenges and rising sea levels facing the East Boston shoreline on Thursday, and they will meet with Ambassador Caroline Kennedy at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library on Friday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kennedy's Moonshot that challenged NASA to put a man on the moon in the early 1960s was the inspiration for the Earthshot Prize's name.
Later Friday, the three-day visit will culminate in William and Kate announcing the winners of the Earthshot Prize grants at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. The ceremony will be headlined by Billie Eilish. Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Chloe x Halle will also perform.
Winners in five categories, including nature protection, clean air, ocean revival, waste elimination and climate change will receive a 1 million pound grant ($1.2 million) toward furthering their work. All 15 finalists will receive financial help.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince WIlliam and Kate Middleton attended a Brooklyn Nets game when they were in New York City in 2014. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
William and Kate also attended a Boston Celtics game Wednesday evening. When they were last in the U.S. in 2014 the couple enjoyed a Brooklyn Nets game in New York City.
The couple tweeted a photo from their courtside seats during practice before the game, writing, "Let's go Celtics, let's go!"
The visit also comes amid continuing tensions within the royal family as they reportedly have no plans to visit Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in California.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"William simply can’t forgive [Harry], not just for his behavior and what he’s done and how he’s done it, but look at how much now rests on William," Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl said on "Dan Wooton Tonight" in September. "He always thought Harry would be his wingman. Now he’s doing it on his own. Thank goodness he’s got Kate by his side."
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An honorary member of the Buckingham Palace household also reportedly resigned this week after she repeatedly asked a Black woman who was born in the U.K. where she "really" came from during an event at the palace.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}William condemned the remarks by the member, identified by press outlets as Lady Susan Hussey, who is reportedly Prince WIlliam's godmother.
"The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect," a spokesperson for William said.