Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, arrive at Boston Logan International Airport today. The Prince and Princess of Wales are making their first overseas trip since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo / AP
Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, arrive at Boston Logan International Airport today. The Prince and Princess of Wales are making their first overseas trip since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo / AP
Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales are travelling to the US for their first visit in eight years - but don’t expect a family reunion with the Sussexes.
A source close to William and Kate told ET Online that the pair have “no plans” to see Harry and Meghan during their visit, Fox News reports.
The couple are heading to Boston, Massachusetts, for the second annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. The Sussexes are likely to still be in California before heading to the same area the following week for a visit to New York. The Prince and Princess of Wales are set to travel to Boston on Wednesday for three days of engagements.
The insider claimed William and Kate are “excited” for their first international trip as Prince and Princess of Wales, noting that while they “appreciate the history associated to their titles, they understandably want to look to the future and pave their own paths”.
They hope to “meet the local community” during their visit and learn how the state is addressing climate change. The trip will conclude with the awards ceremony at MGM Music Hall.
Earthshot offers a $1.8 million prize to the winners of five different categories: nature protection, ocean revival, clean air, waste elimination and climate change. The winners and 15 finalists all receive help with their projects.
Earlier this year, Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl claimed the rift between Harry and William has worsened over the years.
“William simply can’t forgive [Harry], not just for his behaviour and what he’s done and how he’s done it, but look at how much now rests on William,” she told Dan Wooton Tonight.
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 30, 2022
“He always thought Harry would be his wingman,” she said. “Now he’s doing it on his own. Thank goodness he’s got Kate by his side.”
Nicholl points out in her book The New Royals that “there were raised eyebrows at the palace” when Harry spoke of his meeting with the Queen on the Today show, saying he wanted to make sure she was “protected” and had “the right people around her”.
“It wasn’t clear whether Harry was referring to his father and William or the aides who were closest to the Queen – such as her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, her personal adviser and in-house dress designer, Angela Kelly, and trusted courtier Paul Whybrew,” Nicholl wrote.
“It seemed Harry’s drive to win back some of the trust that had been shattered post-Oprah was dashed. There was also still the matter of what Harry plans to disclose in his forthcoming memoir.
“For Charles and William, the situation with the Sussexes hasn’t just been hurtful and upsetting on a personal level. There have been real repercussions, particularly for William, whose young family has been thrust into the spotlight prematurely. He always expected Harry would be his wingman; there was a long-term plan in place for the brothers to work together and support one another.”
Meghan and Harry aren't likely to be expecting a visit from the Waleses during their trip to America. Photo / AP
Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal roles in 2020, with the decision dubbed “Megxit” by the media.
“After Harry announced their departure, William summoned aides to address the future, in what has been referred to by some in William’s circle as the ‘Anmer Summit,’” Nicholl claimed.
“But William and Kate also felt a sense of relief that ‘the drama was gone’ when Harry and Meghan left, as a source told me. To this day, William still cannot forgive his brother.”
After Megxit, the pair sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a dramatic televised interview, in which they alleged racism from the royal family and revealed Meghan’s feelings of intense isolation from the rest of the royal family.
Harry’s long-awaited memoir, Spare, is set for release on January 10.
