Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox and More to Attend Prince William’s Earthshot Prize Awards in Boston

The Prince and Princess of Wales will touch down in Boston on Wednesday ahead of the second annual Earthshot prize awards ceremony for their first overseas tour in their new roles.

Prince William and Princess Kate are said to be very “excited” about the visit and have enlisted a stellar line up of stars to attend the event. Among the A-listers taking part are Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Chloe x Halle the palace confirmed on Monday.

The Prince and Princess will arrive in the United States on Wednesday but they have no plans to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who will also be on the East Coast in New York, at another awards ceremony where they will accept the Ripple of Hope Award. The controversial award, given on behalf of the RFK Foundation, is being granted to the couple for standing up against institutionalized racism in the royal family.

Sources close to William and Kate say they want to win back some support for the Royal Family in America after a rocky period following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s move to the States and their controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey during which they criticized the institution and accused an unnamed royal of making a racist comment about the color of their baby’s skin.

While they may well face questions about the situation with the Sussexes, aides say they are determined that nothing will overshadow their visit and want the focus stays on Earthshot, Prince William’s legacy project which he hopes will help save the planet. 

The couple will be spending three days in the city in order to meet some of the local community. The highlight of the visit will be the Earthshot awards ceremony which takes place on Friday, December 2 and will see five of the fifteen finalists awarded cash prizes of £1 million each.

“The Prince and Princess are looking forward to spending time in Boston and to learning more about the issues that are affecting local people as well as to celebrating the incredible climate solutions that will be highlighted through the Earthshot Prize,” a spokesman for the couple said. 

The prince believes the city is the “natural home” of the prize, which was inspired by John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot. Kennedy’s birthplace is Boston which makes it a fitting city for the royal visit and William and Kate can look forward to an action-packed 72 hours. The royals will meet Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum with ambassador Caroline Kennedy and attend a baseball game.

This is the couple’s first trip to the States since 2014 and although it is not a royal tour on behalf of the British government, it is an important moment for the couple and their first overseas tour as the new Prince and Princess of Wales. William and Kate are keen to make a lasting impression and are said to be excited about the trip.

As well as learning more about the challenges Boston faces as a result of climate change, they will also meet those who are working with vulnerable members of society and visit a charity called Roca which helps young people at risk, an important cause for both the prince and princess in the UK.

Kate, who has spearheaded a campaign to raise awareness into the early years, will also visit the Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University, which has previously worked closely with the Royal Foundation and the Princess’s Centre for Early Childhood.