BOSTON (WHDH) - The Prince and Princess of Wales are set to land in Boston Wednesday for what experts are calling a high-stakes visit to the states.
William and Kate are making the trip to announce the winners of the Earthshot Prize at a ceremony at MGM Music Hall in Fenway on Friday. It will be their first major international event since the death of Queen Elizabeth and is expected to be a historic moment.
The Royals’ jam-packed schedule for their three-day trip also includes meetings with local leaders, climate change organizations, and youth programs. Among them are events with Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at City Hall at the start of the trip on Wednesday.
On Thursday, they will focus on climate innovations at Greentown Labs in Somerville, along with a visit to the non-profit, Roca, in Chelsea, which serves high-risk young people.
Princess Kate will also head to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, while Prince William will visit the JFK Library on Friday. The Earthshot Prize, which was founded by Prince William and the Royal Foundation in 2020, was inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” speech, and aims to discover the best solutions to help repair the planet.
“We made a pitch and here we are, about to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to Boston in a couple of days,” JFK Library Foundation Executive Director Rachel Flor told 7NEWS. “It’s so exciting for us – we’re really looking forward to an exciting week.”
Caroline Kennedy will also meet with the Prince at the library on Friday, where they are scheduled to tour an exhibit dedicated to the U.S. space program.
During the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, Prince William will award one million pounds ($1,203,080) to five winners for their groundbreaking solutions to saving the planet. Entertainment at the event will include Billie Elish, Annie Lennox, Chloe x Halle, and Ellie Goulding. Actor Rami Malek will also be on hand at the ceremony.
Boston University lecturer Dr. Kathryn Lamontagne, a British and U.S. citizen who worked as a member of the Royal Household in Buckingham Palace during the Diamond Jubilee, told 7NEWS that this trip will have big implications for the royals back home.
Lamontagne said there will be a push for Kate to follow in Princess Diana’s footsteps by charming Bostonians and the visit could serve as a test of how William will handle being king. In terms of publicity, Americans are one of the largest groups of tourists to travel to the United Kingdom.
“Hopefully, it’ll be a glamorous event and something we can all enjoy watching that’ll bring attention to a worthy cause,” said University of New Hampshire Professor Nicoletta Gullace, who teaches courses focused on modern British history, as well as women’s history.
William and Kate will not be the only royals on the East Coast during the week. Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will be in New York at the same time to receive an award.
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