Royals focus U.S. trip on climate

Prince, princess to announce Earthshot Prize for environmental innovators

Prince William and the Princess of Wales will be looking to focus attention on their Earthshot Prize for environmental innovators when they make their first visit to the United States in eight years this week, a trip clouded by tensions with William’s brother, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, who have criticized Britain’s Royal Family in the American media.

William and his wife, Catherine, will travel to Boston on Wednesday for three days of public engagements before announcing the prize winners on Friday in a ceremony headlined by pop star Billie Eilish.

Boston, the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, was chosen to host the second annual prize ceremony because the late president’s 1962 “moonshot” speech — setting the challenge for Americans to reach the moon by the end of the decade — inspired the prince and his partners to set a similar goal for finding solutions to climate change and other environmental problems by 2030. The first Earthshot Prizes were awarded last year in London just before the U.K. hosted the COP26 climate conference.

But as much as the royals try to focus on the prize, William is likely to face questions about Harry and Meghan, who have criticized the Royal Family for racism and insensitive treatment in interviews with Oprah Winfrey and other U.S. media. The Netflix series “The Crown” has also resurrected some of the more troubled times of the House of Windsor just as the royal family tries to show that it remains relevant in modern, multicultural Britain following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

“You could say that the royal family, particularly as far as America is concerned, have had a bit of a bumpy ride of late,” said Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine. “They’ve come in for huge amounts of criticism on the back of ‘the Crown’ and also the Oprah Winfrey interview, which has not particularly reflected well on the House of Windsor, so I think it’s a good opportunity whilst they’re in the U.S. … to sort of redress the balance if at all possible.”

Whatever those efforts are, they will take place in and around Boston, where William and Kate will remain for their entire visit.

The royal couple will keep the focus on environmental issues, meeting with local organizations responding to rising sea levels in Boston and visiting Greentown Labs in Somerville, Mass., an incubator hub where local entrepreneurs are working on projects to combat climate change.

But they will also address broader issues, using their star power to highlight the work of Roca Inc., which tries to improve the lives of young people by addressing issues such as racism, poverty and incarceration. They will also visit Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, a leader on research into the long-term effect of early childhood experiences.

William and Kate will also meet with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and visit the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library and Museum with the late president’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy.

“The prince and princess are looking forward 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,” their Kensington Palace office said in a statement.

Earthshot offers one million pounds ($1.6 million Canadian) in prize money to the winners of five separate categories: nature protection; clean air; ocean revival; waste elimination; and climate change.