Prince William and Kate Middleton will make their first visit to the U.S. since Queen Elizabeth II’s death in December. They will visit Boston, which was picked as the host city for the Earthshot Prize 2022 event in July. On Oct. 12, Kensington Palace released a photo of the Prince of Wales on a video chat with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to talk about the preparations for the Dec. 2 event.
After the first Earthshot Prize ceremony was held in London in October 2021, William announced that the U.S. would be the host country for the 2022 event. In July, the organization, which honors campaigns around the globe addressing climate change, announced Boston would be the host city. The city is an appropriate choice because the prize’s name is inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s “moonshot” goal to reach the moon before the end of the 1960s. The Kennedy Presidential Library is located in Boston.
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“We are honored and excited that Boston has been selected to host the 2022 Earthshot Awards,” Wu said in July. “This is an opportunity to shine a global spotlight on our efforts to combat climate change and demonstrate that, together, we can meet the urgency this moment demands with innovative solutions that protect our planet and future generations.”
In announcing Boston as the next host city, the Earthshot Prize organization also praised the city for its own green initiatives. Prince William and Middleton plan to spotlight the city’s work on addressing climate change. This will be their first visit to the U.S. since 2014, when the royal couple stopped in New York. This will be the first time a member of the British royal family is visiting Boston since then-Prince Charles attended Harvard’s 350th anniversary celebration in 1986, the Boston Globe reports.
Prince William was planning to attend an Earthshot summit in New York last month, but he had to stay in the U.K. after Queen Elizabeth died on Sept. 8. He instead sent a video message to attendees, reports PEOPLE. “During this time of grief, I take great comfort in your continued enthusiasm, optimism, and commitment to the Earthshot Prize and what we are trying to achieve,” William said in the video.
“Protecting the environment was a cause close to my grandmother’s heart, and I know she would have been delighted to hear about this event and the support you’re all giving our Earthshot finalists, the next generation of environmental pioneers,” William continued. “Both Catherine and I are so excited to be coming to Boston in December, and we look forward to seeing you all very soon.”
The Earthshot Prize is a charity independent of Prince William and Middleton’s Royal Foundation. William serves as president of the organization. He established the organization in 2020 with Sir David Attenborough. Each winner receives a £1 million grant to continue their work in fighting the effects of climate change.
