Prince William and Kate Middleton's first trip to the U.S. since 2014 comes amid controversy at Buckingham Palace.
As the royal family deals with the fallout stemming from an incident at a recent royal function, the Prince and Princess of Wales touched down in Boston for an 2022 Earthshot Prize ceremony on Nov. 30.
The couple was photographed with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to begin the celebrations near City Hall. The royals kept bundled up, with Kate wearing a dark green coat cinched at the waist over an emerald plaid dress. William wore a long black coat and suit with a tie matching his wife's green palette.
Upon landing, William shared a statement reflecting on his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's love of the city.
"Catherine and I are delighted to be back in the United States and are extremely grateful to Governor Baker and The First Lady of Massachusetts for their warm welcome into Boston," he said. "On this, our first overseas visit since the death of my grandmother, I would like to thank the people of Massachusetts and particularly of Boston for their many tributes paid to the late Queen. She remembered her 1976 bicentennial visit with great fondness."
In addition to the Earthshot Prize ceremony, William and Kate will spend their three days in Boston meeting with local officials.
"My grandmother was one of life's optimists," he continued. "And so am I. That is why last year we launched the Earthshot Prize with the ambition to create a truly global platform to inspire hope and urgent optimism as we look to save the future of our planet."
The couple's visit comes as the royal family is dealing with controversy stemming from Queen Consort Camilla's Nov. 29 reception on domestic violence awareness at Buckingham Palace. Following the event, Sistah Space CEO Ngozi Fulani, said she was repeatedly asked questions about her heritage and background by a member of King Charles III's team.
On Nov. 30, the Palace issued a statement revealing that member of the King's team had resigned following some "deeply regrettable comments" to Fulani. Meanwhile, William's spokesman noted that the Prince of Wales was made aware of the situation and approved of the Palace's handling of the incident.
"I was really disappointed to hear about the guest's experience," a statement from the Prince's spokesperson read. "Racism has no place in our society. These comments were unacceptable and it's right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect."