At the start of their trip to the USA, the British royals let their charm play - also to compensate for the headlines about the racist failure of a lady-in-waiting at home. But while William and Kate are still smiling at the cameras in Boston, the next scandal is already threatening on the west coast.
Overshadowed by allegations of racism at the British court, heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Kate have begun their first visit to the United States in eight years. In Boston, the Prince and Princess of Wales met Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor-elect Maura Healey at City Hall before attending a basketball game. The couple will be received by US President Joe Biden on Friday, according to the White House.
The Royals' three-day trip is all about climate change: the highlight will be the presentation of William's Earthshot Climate Award at Boston's MGM Music Hall on Friday evening. The prize is awarded in five categories, each worth one million pounds. Numerous stars are expected to attend the event, including singer Billie Eilish and actor Rami Malek.
Meanwhile, comments made by William's godmother, Susan Hussey, to black charity activist Ngozi Fulani caused a stir at the British court. At a reception hosted by Queen Consort Camilla, Hussey approached the activist after she revealed that she was born, raised and British in the UK. Hussey asked: "Where are you really from, where are your people from?"
Fulani then felt compelled to explain that she had "African roots" and was of "Caribbean descent". At the same time, however, she once again emphasized that she was a British citizen. The exchange left her with "mixed feelings," Fulani said. Buckingham Palace apologized for the incident. The comments were "unacceptable and deeply regrettable," the palace said. The person concerned apologized and had resigned from their voluntary work.
William's brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan had also accused unnamed members of the royal family of racism in the past. In a TV interview, they reported that Meghan's African-American mother had speculated loudly in the palace about how dark-skinned Meghan's unborn son would be. At the time, William emphasized that the royals were "not a racist family". A meeting of the two brothers during William and Kate's trip to the USA is not on the official agenda.
As the British "Daily Mail" reports, Meghan is said to be planning a book entitled "Racism and the British Monarchy" which will be co-authored by a professor who specializes in American studies and feminism. On Twitter, the professor not only shared a book announcement, but also a screenshot of Meghan with son Archie and mother Doria Ragland in a video call - and received shared feedback, as she admitted: "Almost 100 people tweeted that I should not write this book ".
