Prince William and Princess Kate step into Harry and Meghan’s territory
Prince William and the Princess of Wales will try to draw attention to their Earthshot award for environmental innovators when they make their first visit to the US in eight years this week, a trip likely fueled by tensions with Prince Harry and his wife is tracked. Meghan, who has criticized the British royal family in the American media.
William and his wife Catherine will travel to Boston for three days of public engagements on Wednesday before announcing the honorees on Friday.
Boston, the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, was chosen to host the second annual awards ceremony because the late president’s 1962 “Moonshot” speech – in which he urged Americans to reach the moon by the end of the decade – inspired the prince and his partners to set a similar goal to find solutions to climate change and other environmental problems by 2030. The inaugural Earthshot Awards were presented in London last year, just before the UK hosted the COP26 climate conference.
But as much as the royals try to focus on the price, 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 US media. The Netflix series The Crown has also revived some of the House of Windsor’s more troubled times as the royal family seeks to show they remain relevant in modern, multicultural Britain following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“You could say the royal family has had a bit of a bumpy ride lately, particularly as it relates to America,” said Joe Little, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine. “They’ve taken a lot of criticism around ‘The Crown’ and also the interview with Oprah Winfrey, which didn’t reflect the House of Windsor very well, so I think it’s a good opportunity while they’re at the USA … to restore balance, if that is at all possible.”
Whatever this effort, it will take place in and around Boston, where William and Kate will remain throughout their visit.
The royal couple will continue to focus on environmental issues, meeting with local organizations responding to Boston’s rising sea levels and visiting Greentown Labs in Somerville, Massachusetts, an incubator center where local entrepreneurs work 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 seeks to improve the lives of young people by tackling issues like racism, poverty and incarceration. You will also visit Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, which is a leader in research into the long-term effects 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 look forward to spending time in Boston, learning more about the issues affecting local people and celebrating the incredible climate solutions spotlighted by the Earthshot Prize.” , her office at Kensington Palace said in a statement.
Earthshot is offering £1 million (US$1.2 million) in prize money to winners in five different categories: Conservation, Clean Air, Ocean Revitalization, Waste Removal and Climate Change. The winners and all 15 finalists will also receive help to expand their projects to meet global demand.
Among the finalists is a startup from Kenya that aims to provide clean-burning stoves to make cooking safer and reduce indoor air pollution. It was the brainchild of Charlot Magayi, who grew up in one of Nairobi’s largest slums and sold charcoal for fuel.
When her daughter was badly burned by a charcoal stove in 2012, she developed a stove that uses a safer fuel made from a combination of charcoal, wood and sugar cane. The stoves lower costs for users, reduce toxic emissions and reduce the risk of burns, Magayi says.
Other finalists include Fleather, a project in India that uses flower waste to create an alternative to leather; Hutan, an attempt to protect orangutans in Malaysia; and SeaForester, which is trying to restore kelp forests that sequester carbon and promote biodiversity.
Winners will be announced Friday at Boston’s MGM Music Hall during a glittering show headlined by Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Chloe x Halle. It will include video narrated by naturalist David Attenborough and actress Cate Blanchett.
The awards will be presented by actor Rami Malek, comedian Catherine O’Hara and actress and activist Shailene Woodley. The show is co-hosted by BBC’s Clara Amfo and American actor and producer Daniel Dae Kim.
The ceremony will be broadcast on BBC in the UK, PBS in the US and Multichoice across Africa on Sunday.
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