Prince William thanked the "people of Boston" as he and his wife Kate arrived in the city to kick off their first U.S. tour in nearly a decade.
William and Kate are visiting Boston to attend the second annual awards ceremony for the Earthshot Prize, an initiative William launched in 2019 to create solutions for environmental problems.
This is William and Kate's first visit to the United States since they visited New York City in 2014. It is also their first overseas trip since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September and their first overseas trip since taking on the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales.
"[William and Kate] are both excited for their first international trip since taking on their new roles," a Kensington Palace spokesperson told ABC News ahead of the trip. "Both appreciate the history associated to the titles but understandably want to look to the future and pave their own paths."
MORE: Prince William, Kate head to Boston: Everything to know about the couple's 1st US trip in 8 yearsHere is a look at all the biggest moments from William and Kate's visit to Boston.
Prince William and The Earthshot Prize revealed the five winners of this year’s Earthshot Prize Awards Friday night at the Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony.
The winners are Kenya start-up Mukuru Clean Stoves, Kheyti of India, Indigenous Woen of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, London-based startup Notpla and Oman-based project 44.01. Each winner was awarded £1 million.
The five winners were selected by The Earthshot Prize Council, a diverse group of individuals which include Prince William, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Sir David Attenborough, actress Cate Blanchett, Yao Ming and Jack Ma.
“I believe that the Earthshot solutions you have seen this evening prove we can overcome our planet’s greatest challenges. And by supporting and scaling them we can change our future,” Prince William said during the ceremony. “Alongside tonight’s winners and finalists, and those to be discovered over the years to come, it’s my hope the Earthshot legacy will continue to grow, helping communities and our planet to thrive.”
The Earthshot Prize awards ceremony will be broadcast on Sunday, Dec. 4 on BBC and will begin streaming on Monday, Dec. 5 at 2 pm ET on PBS.org and the PBS app.
Princess Kate made a bold fashion statement on Friday by stepping out in a neon green dres for the Earthshot Prize Awards green carpet in Boston.
The Princess of Wales wowed in a green off-the-shoulder gown with her husband Prince William by her side.
Kate paired her outfit with a jeweled green choker necklace once worn by the late Princess Diana of Wales, matching earrings and sparkling heels.
William opted for a classic tuxedo with a black bowtie.
Many celebrities began arriving on the green carpet in Boston ahead of the Earthshot Prize Awards.
Actor Rami Malek and former soccer star David Beckham arrived wearing tuxedos, while sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey of Chloe x Halle wore ballgowns.
President Biden met with Prince William on his final day in Boston on Friday.
During his trip to the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, William shook Biden’s hand and spoke to the president briefly.
William made a solo trip on Friday to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
There, the Prince of Wales met with members of the Kennedy family, including Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to Australia, and was given a short tour of the museum.
William's inspiration for the Earthshot Prize comes from former President Kennedy's "Moonshot," his 1961 national goal of landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
Donning a houndstooth dress and black pumps, Kate stopped by Harvard University to visit the Center on the Developing Child as part of her ongoing work to elevate the importance of the early years to lifelong outcomes.
The princess mirrored her father-in-law King Charles III's trip to Harvard University 36 years ago and signed the university's guest book as Charles did. During her trip, she also met with researchers.
Kate has spent almost a decade looking into how experiences in early childhood are often the root cause of today's hardest social challenges, such as addiction, family breakdown, poor mental health, suicide and homelessness, according to the royals' website.
William and Kate are gearing up for the big event of their Boston trip, Friday night's star-studded Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
The royal couple attended a rehearsal for the awards ceremony at MGM Music Hall at Fenway and were spotted walking on stage and talking with some of the ceremony's producers.
The ceremony, which will air around the world on Dec. 4, will see five winners awarded $1 million grants each to scale their solutions to help repair planet Earth.
Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Chloe.x.Halle are among those scheduled to perform live, and actors including Rami Malek, Catherine O’Hara, Shailene Woodley and Daniel Dae Kim will serve as hosts and presenters.
William and Kate's final stop on their second day in Boston was to East Boston to visit the city's waterfront.
Meeting with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at Piers Park, the prince and princess of Wales learned about the climate challenges that Boston faces, specifically how the city is dealing with rising sea levels.
On Twitter, the couple shared that last year's Earthshot finalists Living Seawalls announced that it will partner with Stone living Lab to work on an "ecological restoration project on Boston Harbor's existing coastal seawalls to support the region's climate resiliency efforts." Living Seawalls tweeted that it will be their first USA Living Seawall and it will be coming to Boston in 2023.
Following their visit to Greentown Labs in Somerville, the prince and princess of Wales visited Roca Inc., a nonprofit that focuses on "high-risk young people ages 16 to 24 at the center of urban violence."
William and Kate spent time with the youth there and met with leaders of the organization. They also spoke to with women in the young mothers' program and alumni of the young men's program.
An 8-year-old boy named Henry who waited hours in chilly Boston weather got a chance to meet William and Kate in-person Thursday.
Henry waited with flowers for William and Kate during their visit to Greentown Labs in Sommerville.
As they left, William and Kate stopped to talk with the young boy, who came dressed in a Royal Guard uniform.
William and Kate kicked off the second day of their Boston trip with a visit to Greentown Labs in Somerville.
The royals took a tour of the climate technology start-up incubator and met with companies supported by the incubator, according to Kensington Palace.
Their next stop is a few miles away in Chelsea, where they will visit Roca, nonprofit organization that focuses on helping high-risk young people between the ages of 16 and 24, according to the palace.
William and Kate are expected to meet with leaders of the organization and with participants in the young mothers' and young men's programs.
Following their visit to city hall, William and Kate headed to TD Garden for a basketball game between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Kate donned a blue blazer while William wore a blue button down and dark blue blazer.
They were all smiles as they cheered on Celtics courtside alongside Governor-elect Maura Healey, Celtics co-owners Steve Pagliuca and Wyc Grousebeck, and Grousebeck's wife Emilia Fazzalari.
William and Kate's first stop on their Boston trip was Boston City Hall.
They were greeted by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the first woman and first person of color to be elected as mayor in the city last year, and U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy.
In honor of the Earthshot Prize, which was inspired by President John F. Kennedy's Moonshot Initiative, the couple helped light Boston buildings and landmarks green.
In his address to Mayor Wu and the crowd at Boston City Hall, Prince William thanked Wu and Reverend White-Hammond for their support for the Earthshot Prize. He also noted why Boston was the "obvious choice for the Earthshot Prize in its second year" and said he was inspired by President Kennedy's moonshot speech to launch the Earthshot Prize.
"Sixty years ago, President John F. Kennedy's 'moonshot' speech laid down a challenge to American innovation and ingenuity," Prince William began. "'We chose to go to the moon,' he said, 'not because it is easy, but because it is hard.'"
"Where better to hold this year's awards ceremony than in President Kennedy's hometown, in partnership with his daughter and the foundation that continues in his name," he added. "Boston was also the obvious choice because our universities, research centres and vibrant start-up scene make you a global leader in science, innovation and boundless ambition. Mayor Wu, you have also been a leader in putting climate policies at the heart of your administration. Thank you."
"Like President Kennedy, Catherine and I firmly believe that we all have it in ourselves to achieve great things, and that human beings have the ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve," William said. "We cannot wait to celebrate the Earthshot Prize later this week, and we are both looking forward to spending the next few days learning about the innovative ways the people of Massachusetts are tackling climate change."
Earlier on Wednesday during a White House press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden "intends to greet the prince and princess of Wales" on Friday when he is in Boston.
The White House previously announced that Biden would be in Boston this week for a fundraiser.
Princess Kate paid tribute to the late Princess Diana when she arrived in Boston on Wednesday with the earrings she wore.
Along with her suited look, she wore Diana's sapphire and diamond drop earrings. The earrings were spotted on the late princess on several occasions, including the 1996 Met Gala where she wore them with a matching choker that included rows of pearls and a big blue sapphire at the center.
MORE: Princess Kate wears Princess Diana's earrings during Boston tripUpon their arrival in Boston Wednesday morning, William said he and Kate are "delighted to be back in the United States."
He also used the moment to reflect on his grandmother, who celebrated her 1976 bicentennial in the U.S.
"On this, our first visit since the death of my grandmother, I would like to thank the people of Massachusetts and particularly of Boston for their many tributes to the late queen. She remembered her 1976 bicentennial visit with great fondness," William said in a statement.
"My grandmother was one of life's optimists. And so am I," he added. "To the people of Boston, thank you. I'm so grateful to you for allowing us to host the second year of the Earthshot Prize in your great city. Catherine and I can't wait to meet many of you in the days ahead."
As William and Kate were making their way to Boston, a controversy erupted in the U.K. involving William's godmother, Lady Susan Hussey.
Hussey, a longtime lady-in-waiting to the late queen, was accused of making racist remarks to an attendee at a reception hosted by Queen Escort Camilla on Tuesday at Buckingham Palace.
On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace said it had launched an investigation into the allegation and said Hussey had "stepped aside from her honorary role."
A spokesperson for William commented on the incident while briefing reporters ahead of William and Kate's arrival in Boston.
"This is a matter for Buckingham Palace but as the Prince of Wales' spokesperson, I appreciate you're all here and understand you'll want to ask about it. So let me address it head on," the spokesperson said. "I was really disappointed to hear about the guest's experience at Buckingham Palace last night."
He continued, "Obviously, I wasn't there, but racism has no place in our society. The comments were unacceptable and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect."illi