BOSTON (WHDH) - Hundreds stood through heavy wind and light rain for hours Wednesday afternoon, waiting for Prince William and Princess Kate of Wales to arrive for the first public appearance of their visit to Boston.
Before the welcoming remarks, the couple had the chance to walk through City Hall with Mayor Wu, viewing pictures on the walls from the Queen’s visit to Boston in 1976. Before that meeting, Gov-elect Martha Healey and City Council President Ed Flynn had tea and cake with the couple.
Caroline Kennedy had was slated to welcome the royals in the ceremony as well, but was unable to due to disrupted travel plans, officials said.
The Prince’s remarks were brief and focused on Boston’s approach to tackling climate change.
“Like President Kennedy, Catherine and I firmly believe that we all have it in ourselves to achieve great things and that human beings have the ability to lead, innovate, and problem solve,” he said. “We cannot wait to celebrate the Earthshot Prize finalist later on this week, and we are both looking forward to spending the next few days learning about the innovative ways the people of Massachusetts are tackling climate change.”
Healey, Wu, and the royals together ended the ceremony by pressing a big green button together, lighting up buildings around the city with green to honor the climate-focused occasion.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)