How Prince William Paid Tribute To The Late Queen Upon His Arrival In Boston
It's been a busy week for William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales as the royal couple makes the rounds in Boston ahead of the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony on December 2. William and Catherine are in town to promote the climate change initiative he founded in 2020 (via The New York Times). This year, the organization will award a whopping $6 million to five entrepreneurs working to combat the climate crisis.
As a source told People, the upcoming event — the second of its kind, with each slated to take place on an annual basis — is like William's own personal "Super Bowl." Reportedly, the royal couple was "both extremely excited for the visit," with the insider sharing, "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."
Alongside spreading the word about the great work the Earthshot Prize recipients are doing, William also took a moment to pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Prince of Wales was effusive about his grandmother's positive outlook on life
The Prince and Princess of Wales are in the midst of their first overseas trip since the heartbreaking death of Queen Elizabeth II, and clearly, Prince William's beloved grandmother is at the forefront of his mind. As The Mirror reported, upon landing in Boston, the prince gushed, "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." William added, "My grandmother was one of life's optimists. And so am I."
The royal couple will present the Earthshot Prize awards tomorrow. Indeed, William also noted that part of the reason he founded the charitable initiative was "to create a truly global platform to inspire hope and urgent optimism as we look to save the future of our planet," which chimes with Her Majesty's positive approach. Alongside meeting Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, President Joe Biden made a last-minute request to see William and Catherine during their US visit.
The group will get together on Friday, per CBS News. Thankfully, the queen managed to meet Biden back in 2021 before her death (via BBC News). "We had a long talk," the president revealed at the time. "She was very generous. I don't think she'd be insulted but she reminded me of my mother. In terms of the look of her and just the generosity. She was very gracious."