What to Expect from Will and Kate’s Royal Visit to Boston

And why the stakes are high for the prince and princess’s first trip to the US in nearly eight years.

Greetings from Boston! I arrived in the city late last night ahead of the much-anticipated visit by William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales. If the press from both sides of the pond are to be believed, the stakes are high for these next few days. Below you’ll find a trip primer, with a look at why they are coming, what we know about their public engagements, and what Earthshot is all about. 

I’ll be covering the visit on Instagram — you can find me at @EHolmes —and I’ll be back in your inboxes later this week with a full recap and my thoughts.

How are you feeling about Will and Kate’s trip to Boston? Any guesses on which dress the princess may repeat for the Earthshot red — make that, green — carpet? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments of this newsletter.

ICYMI: My interview with Susan Caplan on the vintage jewelry used in The Crown.

Will and Kate at the inaugural Earthshot Prize Ceremony in London last year. (Photo via Getty Images)

Why are Will and Kate coming to Boston?

The Prince and Princess of Wales are visiting America for the first time in nearly eight years on behalf of William’s Earthshot Prize. (This will be their third US visit as a married couple, with previous trips to New York in 2014 and Los Angeles in 2011). The second annual environmental prize ceremony will be held Friday evening at MGM Music Hall at Fenway. More on William’s repair-the-planet push below. 

This trip is a big deal! According to People magazine, staffers for the prince say Earthshot is his “Super Bowl moment” of the year. A source told the magazine the couple are “excited to be able to bring that to the United States and inspire people stateside and around the world through the incredible stories we are going to tell.”

They’re also counting on America to help spread the word about Earthshot. Last year’s inaugural prize ceremony in London “did not generate significant attention abroad,” according to a piece the by Victoria Ward in the Telegraph. Ward quotes an unnamed source as saying: “America is your best chance of projecting it internationally,” adding, “That was the logic behind wanting to do it in Boston.”

Ok, but why Boston?

Boston has the all-important Kennedy connection (Earthshot is named after Moonshot, more on that below). It’s also a smaller city — allowing them to make a bigger splash — that is conveniently located on the East Coast, a quick(ish) flight from London.

Perhaps most notably, Boston is committed to tackling climate issues with its Green New Deal initiative. “The event will also honor ‘the tremendous work’ Boston has accomplished in battling climate change,” read a report in the New York Times, which cited Karen Pierce, the British ambassador to the United States. I’ll admit I chuckled at what came next: “Boston’s historical connection to Britain is not lost on anyone, she added.” The NYT piece also referred to the city as “a cradle of the American Revolution.” (I resisted the urge to pack my red coat.)

The royal couple have turned the Earthshot trip into a three-day affair, with engagements in and around Boston today, Thursday, and Friday.

What’s the vibe ahead of the trip?

The media in both the US and the UK are framing this visit as a chance for Will and Kate to repair the monarchy’s reputation here after a turbulent few years. The Associated Press said the trip is “clouded by tensions with William’s brother, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, who have criticized Britain’s royal family in the American media.” 

Roya Nikkhah, the royal editor of the Times of London, published a piece earlier this month with a sharper edge. “Harry and Meghan trashed the monarchy. Can William and Kate win back American hearts?” read the headline. From the story:

“A visit to the US by the Prince and Princess of Wales, viewed in royal circles as one of the most important overseas trips for years, aims to get the House of Windsor firmly back on the front foot across the pond…Those in royal circles know the US trip is a big opportunity for William and Kate to sprinkle the stardust many Americans love and elevate the monarchy above entertainment news, before another narrative from the alternative Californian royal court hits headlines again.”

(That last bit, I believe, is a reference to the exciting Sussex events in store in the very near future, with an award ceremony in New York next week and the highly anticipated release of their Netflix docu-series and Harry’s memoir in December and January, respectively.) 

Tina Brown, former editor of the New Yorker and Vanity Fair and author of the best-selling book the Palace Papers, offered her thoughts in the Times piece, saying “interest in William and Kate is low boil.” More from Brown:

“I would like to have seen them hit more cities than Boston, where sizzle factor is quiescent to say the least. To win America, I would recommend a White House dinner, with Kate hitting the dance floor with [the actor] Bradley Cooper, as Diana did with [John] Travolta, preferably in the dress Kate wore to the James Bond opening.”

I see Brown’s point but I’m not sure that sort of “sizzle factor” would land the same here after all that has happened. The royal watching landscape has changed dramatically in the last few years; there is no doubt some Americans have a much different view towards the monarchy now. A more contained trip, with a very specific focus like Earthshot, seems to me like a smarter return to America for Will and Kate.

I’ll be interested to see what the crowds in Boston are like! Stay tuned.

What are Will and Kate doing and when?

Victoria Murphy, writing in Town & Country, underscored that Kensington Palace sees this is as “a trip focused on Earthshot” rather than a tour: “However they are, the source said, keen to spend time in Boston meeting the local community and see work being done around climate change in the area.”

Here’s a look at their itinerary, it promises to be a busy few days:

• Today — Wednesday, November 30

The Waleses will make their first appearance at City Hall on this evening at 4:30pm for an official welcome by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Caroline Kennedy, the US Ambassador to Australia and daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy. 

During the engagement — which is the only event open to the public during their trip — they are expected to light the city green in honor of Earthshot. If you are hoping to catch a glimpse of Will and Kate, this might be your best bet! Although, to my dismay, the weather is not cooperating. The forecast calls for heavy rain and wind.

Their evening plans remain under wraps but! I’ll just put out there that our sports-loving princess may want to catch the Boston Celtics against the Miami Heat Wednesday evening (on their visit to New York in 2014, they ventured to Brooklyn to see the Nets and meet Beyonce, as one does). The game starts at 7:30pm ET.

“Showing up unannounced at a Bruins or Celtics game wouldn’t be a bad idea to win over Americans,” noted columnist Joe Battenfeld in the conservative Boston Herald. (He plays the part of the curmudgeonly newspaper columnist quite well, griping preemptively about “traffic disruptions, a big taxpayer bill and a lot of needless bowing and curtsying.”)

I’m looking forward to saying hello to many of you at our cocktail party at the gorgeous new Beacon Hill Books! Wear something fun and bring your copy of HRH so I can sign it (or you can pick one up at the store). Please note: This is a sold-out ticketed event! We ask that you arrive at the time on your ticket so that we can accommodate everyone. If you are not attending but would like to buy a signed copy of HRH from the bookstore, please email lindsay@BHBooks.com with “HRH” in the subject line.

• Thursday, December 1

The couple will head to Greentown Labs in Somerville, which describes itself as “the largest climatetech startup incubator in North America.” It supports more than 200 startups around the world, with shared office and lab space to allow for further collaboration. (A note on the website reminds people the royal visit “is extremely private and invite-only.”) 

From there, Will and Kate will head to Chelsea for a visit to Roca, which “focuses only on young people at the center of urban violence – those who are traumatized, full of distrust, and are trapped in a cycle of violence and poverty that traditional youth programs alone can’t break.”

I can’t wait to say hello to those of you attending the Royally Obsessed party at Rothy’s!

Kate back in June 2021 at the release of the Big Change Starts Small report, which was written in collaboration with Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child. (Photo via Getty Images)

• Friday, December 2

Kate will head to Cambridge Friday morning for a visit to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child. This will undoubtedly be a highlight for the princess, having worked with the center since the launch of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in summer 2021. (Its inaugural report, Big Change Starts Small, was written in collaboration with the Harvard center.)

While Kate is at Harvard, William will visit the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum with Caroline Kennedy.

Earthshot will take place Friday evening at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park. The 5,000-seat concert hall opened this fall; a report in Boston.com describes the triangular-shaped venue as “an intimate space in which no seat is farther than 110 feet from the stage.”

What is the Earthshot Prize?

Earthshot is Prince William’s 10-year push to repair the planet. It’s named for President Kennedy’s 1962 Moonshot challenge, which had the goal of putting a man on the moon within a decade.

Earthshot has five key pillars: protect and restore nature; clean our air; revive our oceans; build a waste-free world; and fix our climate. Each year for the next decade, five winners will be chosen from 15 finalists working towards one or more of the above goals. Winners will receive an Earthshot Prize of £1 million to further their work and scale their solutions.

You can read about this year’s finalists here.

What can we expect from the ceremony on Friday night?

The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, on the 60th anniversary of Moonshot, is partnering with Earthshot this year to bring the event to Boston. “It will be a local, national, and global event all in one, and it will catalyze change for a healthier planet,” according to the foundation website.

The ceremony will be co-hosted by British television presenter Clara Amfo and actor-director Daniel Dae Kim. The five prizes will be presented by the Princess of Wales along with actors Rami Malek, Catherine O’Hara, and Shailene Woodley. (That leaves one prize-presenting spot open…any guesses? Related or unrelated! US President Joe Biden will be in town Friday for a fundraiser…what do we think is the likelihood that he might attend?)

Will is slated to deliver remarks at the end of the ceremony. Sir David Attenborough, the beloved, celebrated natural historian and member of the Earthshot Prize Council, will also be featured.

How can I watch the Earthshot Prize Ceremony?

Earthshot will be broadcast in the UK on Sunday, December 4 on the BBC (as well as the Earthshot Prize YouTube channel) and in the US on Monday, December 5 on PBS.

I gasped at the return of this fan-favorite Alexander McQueen gown for last year’s Earthshot Prize Ceremony. Which dress do you think Kate will repeat this year? (Photo via Getty Images)

Any guesses on what Kate will wear?

My money is on a repeat gown! It’s the sustainable choice. For Earthshot last year, Kate re-wore the fan-favorite lilac Alexander McQueen gown first seen on their trip to Los Angeles in 2011. William got in on the repeat fashion game, too, rewearing a green velvet tuxedo jacket.

Many took Kate’s re-wear as foreshadowing this year’s prizes being awarded in the U.S. I’m trying to think of gowns she has worn on tour in places where Earthshot might be held! What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

The only other sartorial guess I have is that she could wear green, the signature shade of Earthshot (see the green carpet from last year in the picture above). The princess has the fantastic off-the-shoulder Jenny Packham gown from Jamaica earlier this year, though I’m guessing they might not want to remind people of that tour on this trip. There was a green lace Temperley London gown she wore to the National Portrait Gallery in 2017, perhaps? We shall see soon enough!

I’m off to explore Boston ahead of the royal arrival today. You can follow me on Instagram Stories. Lots more to come!