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SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - The Prince and Princess of Wales will be in Boston this week to announce the winners of a special environmental prize on Friday, but before they do, they will be visiting several spots in the area, including a climate-focused startup “incubator.”
On Thursday, William and Kate will spend time at Greentown Labs, a collaborative company that brings together startups and investors dedicated to creating a sustainable world, having supported more than 500 companies in its 11-year history.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to host them,” said Julia Travaglini, Greentown’s senior vice president of marketing and communications. “It’s been really exciting to see the company and the team grow so much, and the community of startups we support.”
The Prince and Princess will speak with Greentown Labs executives to discuss the work they are doing to address the climate crises, while also meeting with some of the startups collaborating with the lab.
“They’ll meet five of our entrepreneurs,” Travaglini said. “We are going to help make it the best visit that they can have here to Somerville, to Greentown Labs, and help show them a lot of the climate innovation happening here in our city.”
For one member of Greentown Labs, the visit feels as though things are coming full circle.
“I went to the University of St. Andrews in 2001 and that was when the Prince actually first started there,” said Eben Cross, a co-founder of Quantaq, a company focused on mitigating global air pollution. “I’m most curious to think about, you know, where they see needs, and where they see themselves contributing to those needs.”
Throughout their trip, which starts on Wednesday, Nov. 30, William and Kate will be venturing in and around the Boston area, with trips to Cambridge and Chelsea on the itinerary. They will ultimately announce the winners of the Earthshot Prize at a ceremony at MGM Music Hall in Fenway on Friday, during which, Prince William will award one million pounds ($1,203,080) to five winners for their groundbreaking solutions to saving the planet.
Before their arrival, previous trips to Boston by the royal family included a visit by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who stopped by for Boston’s bicentennial in 1976, as well as then-Prince, now-King Charles, who gave a commencement speech at Harvard in 1986.
Princess Anne and Prince Edward also made stops in the city in 1995 and 2000, respectively.
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