Prince William meets US President Joe Biden ahead of climate prize
William is in the US to give out awards for the Earthshot Prize
By Nathan Williams
BBC News
The Prince of Wales has met US President Joe Biden on the final day of his US trip.
Prince William was greeted by Mr Biden following a tour of the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
William and the Princess of Wales have now arrived for a ceremony in Boston where they will hand out awards for their Earthshot Prize.
However, the high-profile trip has been overshadowed by a racism row involving William’s godmother.
Lady Susan Hussey, a key member of the Royal Household, resigned after repeatedly asking a black British charity boss where she was “really” from.
Prince William’s spokesperson has said “racism has no place in our society”.
This is the royal couple’s first big international appearance since the death of the Queen.
President Biden travelled to the UK in September for the Queen’s state funeral.
Image source, PA Media/ Daily Mirror
William and Catherine will hand out million-pound awards to Earthshot Prize winners
William and Catherine will hand out awards to five Earthshot Prize winners during a ceremony in Boston. Each winner will be given £1m ($1.2m) to develop their environmental projects.
The awards ceremony will be a mix of good causes and entertainment – performers include Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Chloe x Halle.
Presenters at the televised event include David Beckham, Rami Malek, Catherine O’Hara, Shailene Woodley, Clara Amfo and Daniel Dae Kim.
Ahead of the event, William labelled himself a “stubborn optimist”, in an article published in the Huffington Post.
He said he wanted to “supercharge” the impact of the Earthshot Prize finalists to inspire a “despairing world” that there is a way forward.
“Dire predictions about our natural world aren’t the only side to this story and they don’t have to be our future,” he wrote.
Image source, Still from pool clip
David Beckham was snapped by photographers as he arrived for the Earthshot Prize awards
Image source, PA Media
Annie Lennox is one of the performers at the awards ceremony
Image source, PA Media
Ellie Goulding will also be performing during the televised show
Viewers will have to wait to see the awards ceremony – it is due to be broadcast at 17:30 GMT on Sunday on the BBC in the UK, and on Monday in the US.
Prince William’s brother Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan are not expected to attend the ceremony.
On the second day of Prince William and Catherine’s trip, the trailer for Harry and Meghan’s “behind closed doors” Netflix series was released.
The minute-long clip features previously unseen pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, including tearful images of Meghan.
The BBC’s Daniela Relph, who is in Boston, says not to expect the Prince and Princess of Wales to comment on the Netflix series during their US trip.
Among the 15 finalists for the Earthshot Prize are the inventors of a bubble pump designed to catch plastics before they reach the ocean.
For the first time there are also finalists from the UK, including London start-up Notpla, which makes packaging from seaweed and plants as an alternative to single-use plastic.
Prince William has said the Earth is at a “tipping point” and the awards are intended to support innovative ways of reducing environmental damage.
The prize was inspired by US President John F Kennedy’s “Moonshot” programme, which resulted in the US Apollo lunar launches and the first man setting foot on the Moon in 1969.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63837781?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
