This is why Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are heading to the US this week

There are several firsts for the newly titled Prince and Princess of Wales, as the couple embarks on a US trip.

But many may be wondering why exactly they are crossing the Atlantic today (November 30).

It is the first time in eight years that William and Catherine (Kate), formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will have visited the United States while on royal duty. They last visited in 2014 when they met with President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.

The royal couple may have a meeting with Joe Biden, the current US President, on Friday, December 2, as there’s a coincidental cross-over in Boston. Plans are being scheduled between aides on both sides to see if this is possible.

However, the main focus for William and Kate will be the annual Earthshot Prize awards in Boston. This is another first for the couple as the awards were done virtually last year when it was launched. William spoke via a video call to launch the environmental prize in 2021, which was designed to find and grow the solutions that will repair our planet this decade.

There are five prizes for innovative environmental projects, each award worth £1m, in an event that will emphasise inclusion, diversity and a global outlook.

The mission statement says: ‘We face our greatest challenge; to regenerate the place we all call home in the next ten years. We believe in the power of human ingenuity to prove to us all that the seemingly impossible is possible.’

It marks William and Kate’s first international trip as the new Prince and Princess of Wales since the death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022.

William mentioned how important the Queen viewed environmental issues when launching the Earthshot Prize and it’s a fitting tribute to her majesty since she died that their first international outing is to ensure the second year of the awards are delivered in person.

William and Kate have many firsts from this US trip. What looks like it will not be happening is a reunion between William and his younger brother, Harry.

Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, will be in New York next week (Tuesday 6 December 2022) to receive an award from the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights foundation, thus putting them on the east side of the US – they live on the west coast in California. Whether the brothers ensure an over-lap to have a family catch up looks uncertain.

Things are still highly strained between the brothers as Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ is being released in January – a look at his life in the royal family.

William has previously denied any claims of racism within the royal family after the Sussexes’ controversial Oprah Winfrey interview.

The Boston visit is an opportunity for the royal family to redress the balance, given recent negative publicity. The Winfrey interview “did no good at all to the reputation of the British royal family, rightly or wrongly, depending on your stance”, said Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine.

The narrative of The Crown miniseries also “has not been particularly helpful to the House of Windsor”.

A source has told The Guardian the couple’s focus is on the Earthshot prize and they “won’t be distracted by other things”. They will visit local environmental, education and community projects in Boston before attending Friday’s Earthshot ceremony with its appearances by stars including the Grammy award-winning singer Billie Eilish and Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek.

The Earthshot Prize ceremony will be broadcast on Sunday 4 December 2022 on the BBC in the UK, PBS in the US and Multichoice across Africa.