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BOSTON (AP) — The Prince and Princess of Wales’ first foreign trip since the death of Queen Elizabeth II began Wednesday, a chance to show the world as much about who they are not.
With their three-day visit to Boston focused on Prince William’s initiative to find a new generation of environmental entrepreneurs, complemented by trips to an anti-poverty program, child development researchers and local flood protection, the couple hopes to show that they are in this together. Not the last vestiges of a dying institution. Instead, Americans will see the young face of a monarchy grappling with important issues as it seeks to remain relevant in a modern, multicultural Britain.
William said he chose to hold the second EarthShot Prize in Boston because it was President John F. It is the home turf of Kennedy, whose 1962 speech set the ambitious goal of putting men on the moon within the decade.
“It was the Moonshot speech that inspired me to start the EarthShot Prize with the aim of doing for climate change what President Kennedy did for the space race. And where better to host this year’s awards ceremony than in President Kennedy’s hometown,” said William.
The royal visit got off to a rainy, blustery start, but hundreds of people still waited out a steady downpour for the couple’s first public event at Boston City Hall after boarding a commercial British Airways flight. Later, the couple planned to attend a Boston Celtics basketball game.
The visit comes less than three months after the death of Elizabeth, whose personal popularity dampened criticism of the crown during her 70-year reign. William’s father, King Charles III, has made it clear that it will be a slimmed-down monarchy, with less pomp and ceremony than his predecessors.
“I think this is less about saving the planet and more about saving the royal family,” said Boston University professor Ariane Chernock, an expert on modern British history. “Frankly, we’ve seen Charles as king and his first months in that position were trying to find his way, to find a way to be a more coherent, more modern king. And I think we’ll see something similar happen with William and Kate.”
Part of that reset includes reclaiming the hearts and minds of the public in America, where William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, and sister-in-law, Meghan, have dominated the media since moving to California in 2020. Harry and Meghan have criticized the royals. Family for alleged racism and insensitive treatment and built his media profile by making films and podcasts for Netflix and Spotify.
The trip got off to a rocky start when a lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth apologized and resigned over allegations that she asked a black domestic abuse survivor’s lawyer where she was “really from,” despite her insistence she was British. National
The Press Association of Britain and a number of other media outlets in Britain identified the woman who made the comments as Lady Susan Hasina, who served the king for more than 60 years. She is also the godmother of the Prince of Wales.
The Netflix series “The Crown” also recreated some of the House of Windsor’s more troubled times, including the collapse of Charles’ marriage to William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, amid mutual accusations of infidelity.
But William and Kate are keen to tell a different story, about their work on environmental issues, mental health and early childhood education.
During a gala concert celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, William gave a speech highlighting his grandmother and father’s pioneering work on the environment as images of forests and oceans were projected onto the walls of Buckingham Palace behind him.
Kate last week wrote an op-ed on the need to improve the lives of young children which was published in The Daily Telegraph, one of Britain’s most influential newspapers, along with a photo of the princess sitting cross-legged among a group of primary school pupils.
“Over the past 10 years, speaking to a wide range of experts about how we deal with social issues such as poor mental and physical health, I have become increasingly convinced of one thing: if we are going to build a healthier and happier society are For future generations, we must begin by understanding and acknowledging the unique importance of the first five years of life,” she wrote.
William and Kate’s last visit to the United States was in 2014, shortly after their wedding. During that trip, the glamorous young couple were honored as they visited the eastern US after eight years, now in their 40s and with three young children, the prince and princess are finally re-engaged.
On Wednesday, John F. He was greeted at the airport by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker before heading to City Hall to meet Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor-elect Maura Healy before visiting the Kennedy Memorial Library and Museum. President Joe Biden planned to greet the couple later in the week.
City Hall, along with 15 other landmarks, was illuminated in green to mark the start of the Earthshot celebration.
Steven Saney / AP
Andrew Warburton, who grew up in Bristol, England, but had never seen the royal family before, praised the work on the environment while waiting for the event. “I hope to hear some good stuff about climate change and the efforts we are making to combat it. They thus represent the future,” he said.
Pamela Spencer, a school teacher, gathered with her two sisters in hopes of giving William and Kate a bouquet of flowers.
“They follow in the footsteps of His late majesty. I’m really here to show them that they have a lot of support in New England,” Spencer said.
Later in the week, William and Kate will visit Roca Inc., highlighting the racial equity group’s efforts to improve the lives of young people by addressing issues ranging from urban violence to poverty, incarceration and trauma. He will also visit Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, a leader in research into the long-term impact of early childhood experiences.
But throughout the trip, William will have his eye on the Earthshot prize.
By focusing specifically on the environment and climate change, the royals are likely to strike a nerve in the US, where many people still deny the existence of man-made global warming, said author, social commentator and Washington Post contributor Sally Quinn. was The Royals’ ability to shine a light on the issue and combine their fame with entertainers like Billie Eilish, who is set to headline the awards show, is likely to get people’s attention.
If nothing else, it will put a face to the issue and make it more understandable than the technical presentations of scientists, Quinn said.
“Obviously the media and attention will be good, not just because they’re celebrities and because they’re royals, but because they’re serious people who care about the issues,” Quinn said. “I mean, they’re not vain. They don’t go to parties. They don’t dance on the table every night. They’re really hardworking royals, and they’re issues they care about.”
EarthShot is offering 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) in prizes to winners in five different categories: nature conservation, clean air, ocean revitalization, waste removal and climate change. The winners and all 15 finalists also get help scaling up their projects to meet global demand.
The winners will be announced Friday at Boston’s MGM Music Hall as part of a glittering show headlined by Elish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Chloe X Halle. The show will also feature videos narrated by naturalist David Attenborough and actor Cate Blanchett.
The BBC’s Clara Ampho and American actor-producer Daniel Dae Kim were chosen as co-hosts. Award presenters include actors Rami Malek, Kathryn O’Hara and Shailene Woodley. The ceremony is scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday on the BBC in the UK, PBS in the US and Multichoice across Africa.
Kirka reported from London.
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