Prince William And Kate Middleton Met An Adorable Costumed 8-Year-Old Fan
The royal couple are across the pond for the first time in almost a decade for the Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are in the United States for the first time since 2014. The newly titled Prince and Princess of Wales are in Boston, Massachusetts, this week for a variety of engagements — culminating in the awards ceremony for the Earthshot Prize, an initiative William founded in 2019 to help solve the world's greatest environmental problems.
But some things are looking a lot like home.
On Thursday, the couple ran into 8-year-old Henry, who was dressed up spectacularly as a tiny member of the queen’s guard.
It turns out that Henry had visited London this past summer with his two moms — and was fascinated by the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. So much so that he asked for a complete Queen’s Guard outfit, including the notable bearskin hat.
Henry was thrilled to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales and showed his appreciation with a bouquet of roses that he handed to Kate.
The couple seemed charmed in return, so much so that they posted the interaction on Twitter to share with the world.
“Thanks to Henry and everyone who came out to see us in Somerville this morning,” they wrote.
The encounter happened as William and Kate toured a Somerville startup incubator called Greentown Labs, which explores climate change solutions and technology.
On Friday they’ll be at MGM Music Hall at Fenway for the 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony, which will honor five recipients with about $1.2 million grants to help build solutions to repair the planet by 2030.
“The Earth is at a tipping point and we face a stark choice: either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet, or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve,” William said in a statement announcing the prize. “People can achieve great things. The next ten years present us with one of our greatest tests — a decade of action to repair the Earth.”
The Prince of Wales previously said the prize was inspired by former President John F. Kennedy's 1962 Moonshot speech and the goal of landing a man on the moon within 10 years. JFK was born in the Brookline area of Boston, making this year’s location for the awards ceremony — and Caroline Kennedy’s involvement in the royal visit — extra special.
Billie Eilish, Rami Malek, Daniel Dae Kim, Catherine O’Hara and Shailene Woodley will be among the performers and presenters at the Earthshot event.
As for William’s stateside brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, it is believed they will not be present on the East Coast for the visit. But they will be receiving a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award at the Ripple of Hope Award Gala on Dec. 6 in New York City.
