Prince William and Kate arrive at their hotel in Boston
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Prince William and Kate have arrived at Boston's City Hall, as their first trip to the US since 2014 threatens being utterly overshadowed by accusations of Buckingham Palace's "institutional racism."
The visit marks the couple's first time on US soil since William's brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle moved to the country, leaving their royal duties behind them.
Kate and Prince William also reportedly charmed fellow flyers during their journey, as they eschewed environmentally unsound private jets and took a commercial flight.
On the day of the trip, Buckingham Palace faced the spotlight after black charity boss Ngozi Fulani accused it of "institutional racism" when Prince William's godmother "relentlessly" interrogated her about her ethnicity.
Lady Susan Hussey, the Queen's lady-in-waiting for more than 60 years, resigned following the exchange, with William stating it was the "right" thing to do. Buckingham Palace said her comments had been "unacceptable."
Crowds gathered at City Hall to cheer the couple as they arrive, equipped with flowers, flags and umbrellas to brave the heavy rain. The royals were welcomed to City Hall by Ms Wu, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants and the first Asian American to serve as Boston’s mayor.
The heir to the throne thanked her and the people of Boston for supporting the awards. “Thank You so much for your help,” he said. “I think people are excited about the awards.”
Prince William issued a heartfelt thanks on social media for Boston's "warm welcome" after the couple arrived in the US city for the start of their three-day tour. He said they were "extremely grateful to Governor Baker and the First Lady of Massachusetts", adding: "Catherine and I can't wait to meet many of you in the days ahead."
In a poignant moment, Prince William also acknowledged that the trip represents his first overseas since the death of his grandmother the Queen, and thanked "the people of Massachusetts and particularly of Boston" for their "tributes to the late Queen."
Joe Biden is also reportedly looking to meet the couple while they are in the country - although this has yet to be confirmed.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have travelled to Boston to visit a number of local associations supporting vulnerable people, see how the city is tackling the effects of climate change and learn more about the local approach to early childhood development.
The culmination of their trip will come on Friday, when they will lead the second award ceremony of the Earthshot Prize - to be aired by the BBC on Sunday at 5.30pm.
Launched by Prince William in October 2020, this decade-long initiative will award every year one £1million grant to each of the five winners presenting the best workable solutions to the most pressing issues planet earth faces - including climate change.
In his statement, William spoke of how he had been inspired by the Queen.
The statement read: "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. She remembered her 1976 bicentennial visit with great fondness.
"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.
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"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 event will feature an incredible line-up of artists, including singers Ellie Goulding and Billie Eilish.
Among the A-listers playing a key role during the night there will also be naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who will voice the show's opening, actress Cate Blanchett, who will narrate a look back to the five winners picked in 2021, and actor Rami Malek, one of the Prize's hosts.
Ahead of Kate and William's departure for the States, a source claimed both Kate and William were "extremely excited for the visit".
The source told People magazine: "They feel and appreciate the warmth and excitement of the American people for their return to the US and are really looking forward to meeting as many folks as possible."
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Speaking about the Earthshot Prize, the insider added: "The Prize has become the Prince's Super Bowl moment of the year, and he looks forward to continuing to use the platform each year to shine a light on some of the most impactful projects doing amazing things around the world to save our planet's future."
The Prince and Princess' communications office, Kensington Palace, also expressed the pair's excitement ahead of their trip.
A statement read: "The Prince and Princess are looking forward to spending time in Boston, and to learning more about the issues that are affecting local people, as well as to celebrating the incredible climate solutions that will be spotlighted through The Earthshot Prize."
This marks Kate and William's third official visit to the US.
They first headed to California in 2011, at the end of an overseas trip that had mostly taken place in Canada.
Three years later, they crossed again the pond to carry out a series of engagements in New York City.Prince William was meant to pay a brief visit to the Big Apple in September to attend the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, which aimed at both showcasing the work of the Prize's first year's finalists and winners as well as further analysing the planet's most pressing challenges.
However, as the event took place during the period of royal mourning in the aftermath of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the Prince of Wales cancelled his attendance and sent instead a video message.
