Why William And Catherine Are Coming To The US For The First Time In 8 Years

The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, will be making their first trip to the U.S. since 2014 this week (via People). The royal pair is set to arrive stateside on Wednesday, November 30 and will spend three days in Boston, Massachusetts. A source close to the couple told People that Will and Kate are "both extremely excited for the visit" and that "they feel and appreciate the warmth and excitement of the American people for their return to the U.S. and are really looking forward to meeting as many folks as possible."

While only some of the details of their visit have been released to the public, we do know that The Prince and Princess of Wales will be spending their last evening in the U.S. at a glamorous event: the second annual Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony, which will air on PBS on the evening of December 4. 

The winners of the Earthshot Prize are selected using what the organization's official website calls "a fair and rigorous process to search, select, accelerate, award and scale the best and most ingenious solutions to repair and regenerate our planet, while simultaneously nurturing eco-innovators and their impact." The U.K. based organization exists in order to help discover, support, and accelerate solutions to the world's greatest environmental challenges, and it does this by connecting the winners with sponsors, organizations, and businesses that can help them grow and achieve their missions.

Over the next ten years, five winners will be chosen each year, and each winner will be given one million pounds as well as the recognition and support that winning such a prestigious award brings. The overarching goal is to to ensure that by 2030, for the first time in human history, the natural world is growing rather than shrinking. The three areas of focus that Earthshot hones in on are protecting natural carbon stores, restoring damaged ecosystems and forests, and developing regenerative agriculture. 

William, Prince of Wales, cares deeply about this project.    

A source close to William and Kate told People that William's involvement with Earthshot is "his attempt to provide some urgent optimism about tackling environmental issues and climate change." The source said that The Prince and Princess of Wales 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." 

The source went on to explain the importance of the royal couple's appearance in the U.S. for this event by calling it their "Super Bowl Moment," saying, that The Prince "looks forward to continuing to use the platform each year to shine a light on some of the most impactful projects doing amazing things around the world to save our planet's future." 

The rest of the couple's visit to Boston will also be focused on learning about how they can best help create a sustainable future for the world and its people.