Biden WILL meet William and Kate on Friday in Boston
Biden WILL meet William and Kate on Friday in Boston: White House says plans are in place for the president to meet Royals during Buckingham Palace race row
- William and Kate landed in Boston on Wednesday in pouring rain
- The White House confirmed that Biden is planning to meet them on Friday
- British and American officials are continuing to finalize details for a meeting
- The Royals landed amid a major palace race row back home
- Prince William’s godmother resigned from a royal role as a probe was launched
- William and Kate last visited the US 8 years ago when they met Barack Obama
- And it is the royal couple’s first overseas trip since the death of Elizabeth II
The White House confirmed on Wednesday that President Joe Biden plans to meet the British Royals William and Kate during a trip to Boston on Friday.
It comes a day after DailyMail.com revealed that American and British officials were hurriedly trying to arrange a meeting after they realised a scheduling fluke had put them all in the same city on the same day.
However, the royal visit is already off to a rocky start. William and Kate arrived on American soil as the prince’s godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, a former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen, resigned from the royal household in a race row.
That has not changed plans for a meeting in Boston.
‘The president intends to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales when he is in Boston. We are still finalizing and working through the details,’ said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at her daily briefing.
Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, arrived in Boston on Wednesday. The White House confirmed that President Biden plans to meet them when he visits the city on Friday – but officials are still working out the details
The Royals are on a three-day visit to Boston, where the Prince of Wales will present awards at the Earthshot Prize ceremony on Friday
They flew in by commercial jet to find a city hit by heavy rain
Wet weather in Boston did not dampen the enthusiasm for crowds waiting at City Hall Plaza for a glimpse of the heir to the British throne and his wife
A little earlier, William and Kate arrived in Boston on a commercial flight from London to be met by pouring rain.
They had already learned that Lady Susan, 83, had stepped down from her role.
She was accused of asking a British black domestic abuse campaigner at a reception a day earlier: ‘What part of Africa are you from?’ And she reportedly refused to believe that the campaigner was British.
The Prince of Wales’s spokesman condemned the comments.
‘I was really disappointed to hear about the guests experience at Buckingham Palace last night,’ he said.
‘Obviously, I wasn’t there, but racism has no place in our society.
‘The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.’
Prince William is in Boston to give out awards for the Earthshot Prize on Friday night, an organization he founded to promote entrepreneurs working on environmental issues.
A shadow has been cast over the Prince and Princess of Wales’ trip after William’s godmother Lady Susan Hussey was accused of making racist comments towards black domestic abuse campaigner Ngozi Fulani (circled) at Buckingham Palace
The White House confirmed on Tuesday that Biden will travel to Boston. ‘The president will participate in a reception for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee,’ it said
The Prince and Princess of Wales (seen here before leaving London) are making their first trip to the U.S. in eight years – and their first overseas visit since the death of Queen Elizabeth II
‘Racist’ comments made by Prince William’s godmother are ‘disaster for him and Kate’ as they land in US: Experts warn remarks are ‘ammunition for Harry and Meghan’
‘Racist’ comments made by Prince William’s godmother are a ‘disaster’ for him and Kate as they head to the US today for their first trip in eight years, PR experts said today.
The Prince of Wales today backed Lady Susan Hussey’s decision to step down from the royal household after she allegedly refused to believe a black domestic abuse campaigner was British and asked her: ‘What part of Africa are you from?’
Publicist Mark Borkowski said the comments, which were made at a reception organised by Queen Consort Camilla, would serve as ‘ammunition’ for Meghan and Harry – who today released a polished trailer for the Invictus Games on the same day William and Kate began their US visit.
Mr Borkowski told MailOnline: ‘This is a PR disaster for the Royal Family and it is going to cause huge problems, especially at the start of William and Kate’s US trip which will be dominated by a new racism row. They are flying into a perfect storm.
‘It is also ammunition for Meghan and Harry who can now tell Americans they have been proved right and say: ‘Look we told you so’ when they are on their own PR blitz with their Netflix show out next week and their Invictus promotions.
‘This scandal is the first real big test and crisis of Charles’ reign. He must be ruthless in throwing this old guard out of the royal household. The optics are very bad at this time when the King wants to create an image of a new, modern, Royal Family’.
As William and Kate began their trip in the US, culture and brand expert Nick Ede warned they risked being overshadowed’ by 83-year-old Lady Susan’s comments.
‘The whole point of William and Kate’s trip has been put into jeopardy by someone’s really terrible remarks at an event which – incredibly ironically – was meant to be all about inclusivity,’ he told MailOnline.
‘It will perpetuate the flame that was lit by Meghan when she accused members of the royal household of making racist comments – the impact could be really quite catastrophic.’
This is the royal couple’s first overseas travel since the death of Queen Elizabeth II —when William was elevated to first in line to the throne – and their first trip to the U.S. in eight years. Back then, William met with President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
They also took in a Brooklyn Nets basketball game, where they met with Jay-Z and Beyonce.
This time around they want to make climate change the focus.
‘This is his Super Bowl moment of the year,’ Karen Pierce, the British ambassador to the United States told the New York Times, ‘and he uses it to shine the light on some of the most impactful projects that are doing amazing things around the world to help save the planet.’
They plan to use their time to learn how climate change will impact the region, according to the Royal Household.
On Friday, William is scheduled to meet Caroline Kennedy and visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dorchester.
The then Duke of Cambridge met President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House in December 2014 on his last visit to the United States
They renewed their acquaintance in London in April in 2016, when Obama joined then Prime Minister to pt the case for the U.K. to stay within the European Union
‘President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot — which challenged America to put man on the moon — is the key inspiration behind The Earthshot Prize and so His Royal Highness will take the opportunity to hear more about President Kennedy’s inspirational legacy and his connections to Boston,’ the statement from Kensington Palace said.
‘During a tour of the library and museum, the prince will see exhibits from the pivotal years of the Kennedy administration in the 1960s, ahead of the moon landing in 1969.’
And in the evening Princess Kate will accompany actors Rami Malek, Catherine O’Hara and Shailene Woodley in announcing the five winners of the Earthshot prize, worth $1 million each.
On Tuesday, the White House confirmed that Biden would be in Boston for a fundraiser.
‘The president will participate in a reception for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee,’ it said.
Billie Eilish (left) is expected to perform at the Prince of Wales’ Earthshot Prize awards in Boston; Cate Blanchett (right) will also feature in the Earthshot event
The Prince and the Princess of Wales fly to Boston on Wednesday – but are not expected to see Harry and Meghan, who are in New York next week
An invitation obtained by the Boston Globe said Biden will appear alongside Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey to raise money for the Georgia Senate run-off election, which takes place Tuesday, Dec. 6.
White House Press Secretary stonewalled questions about a possible meeting on Monday.
‘So I heard about that,’ she said, before adding that she had nothing more to say about Biden’s future travel plans.
Royal experts say it is significant that the couple have chosen the U.S. for their first foreign trip since the Queen’s death.
It could be a chance to rebuild the image of a monarchy buffeted by Harry and Meghan’s transatlantic barbs and inaccuracies in ‘The Crown’.
They couple reportedly have no plans to meet with Harry and his American wife.
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