It's only a fleeting visit but it speaks volumes about the heir to the British throne's growing international role within the royal family.
Prince William will touch down in New York on Monday for a two-day visit -- primarily to attend the second Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit. However, aides have revealed to CNN that the trip is also part of a wider strategy for the royal.
The event coincides with both Climate Week NYC and the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and will see the announcement of the 2023 Earthshot finalists, who are in the running for a £1 million (about $1.2 million) jackpot.
The 41-year-old Prince of Wales and his Royal Foundation launched the ambitious £50 million ($62 million) environmental competition back in 2020 with the goal of finding "trailblazing climate solutions to repair our planet by 2030." Winners of the prize -- now in its third year -- will be revealed at a ceremony in Singapore on November 7.
The prince will also be joined by former winners and finalists during the summit. The cohort will report on the progress of their projects and connect with business leaders, policymakers, philanthropists and activists who can help "scale their innovative solutions."
For William, his prize is about taking a more optimistic approach to confronting some of the planet's problems. As he told us back in 2020, his vision was to remove the "doom and gloom" associated with climate crisis headlines and find ways to drive change forward.
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William was supposed to have gone to New York for the inaugural summit last September but pulled out following the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. In his absence, he sent a video message recorded a day after the Queen's funeral, in which he said he had taken "great comfort" in the "enthusiasm, optimism and commitment" to his environmental award program "and what we are trying to achieve."
Aside from his green campaigning, the prince is also expected to fill his schedule with additional engagements and meetings while in town.
"In addition to unveiling this year's Earthshot finalists next week, you're also going to see Prince William sitting down with the UN Secretary-General and other world leaders... This really is the evolution of Prince William as the global statesman," a close aide said.
William will surely be hoping this trip is less challenging than his visit to Boston in November. While he was "absolutely delighted" to be in Beantown, where he met US President Joe Biden, the visit was somewhat overshadowed by a racism scandal back in the UK.
This trip's timing also appears to be quite fortuitous, in that it comes weeks after Prince William topped a new poll as America's most popular public figure. He was given a 59% favorable rating, edging out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his own father, King Charles, as well as coming out ahead of Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The recent Gallup poll also found William to be the most politically unifying personality, with more than six in 10 Republicans and Democrats viewing him favorably -- surely a positive omen of finding a responsive and open-minded public when he's traveling across the Atlantic to push his eco-prize.
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The whistle-stop visit will be the heir's second solo trip in a year in which raising his global profile has been a focus. A close aide tells us that William is keen to evolve as an international leader as he continues his transformation from Duke of Cambridge to Prince of Wales and future King.
Rather than get side-tracked by controversy and the distractions that have bruised the family's standing over the past few years, we understand he is keen to be part of the global conversation around bettering the world while fiercely concentrating on impact and solutions.
The aide explained: "You've started to see this evolution over the last six months, whether it be him sitting down with President Biden in Boston in November, or heading to the Ukrainian border to meet with British troops."
Earlier this year, he made a surprise visit to Poland, where he met with President Andrzej Duda as well as troops stationed near the border with Ukraine and refugees displaced by the Russian invasion.
There we got a glimpse of William's evolving diplomatic charm offensive. He expressed his gratitude for Warsaw's efforts in supporting neighboring Ukraine while also adeptly deepening the ties between Poland and the UK. The visit was widely seen as a success and William will be keen to build upon it in the months and years ahead.
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The Princess of Wales made a surprise visit to a UK prison on Tuesday to learn about how addiction charity Forward Trust is supporting inmates with control and recovery. Kate, who is patron of the organization, visited HMP High Down in Surrey, southeast England, ahead of Addiction Awareness Week, which takes place from October 28 to November 4. Kate wasn't given any special treatment and had to go through typical security procedures before making her way inside. That meant getting checked over by a black Labrador drug-sniffing dog called Penny on arrival. Once cleared, she met prisoners who were receiving support from the charity. She also made sure to head to The Clink, an on-site restaurant offering inmates hospitality training and rehabilitation skills ahead of their release. Find out more about the eatery in this story from our archives.
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We mentioned last week that William and Kate were going to pop up last weekend in France as the Rugby World Cup kicked off. To coincide with the start of the tournament, former England rugby star Mike Tindall, who is married to the King's niece Zara, called in a few family favors when it came to the line-up for this week's very special episode of his podcast "The Good, The Bad and The Rugby." He was joined by his in-laws: Princess Anne, William and Kate -- who are the royal patrons of Scottish, English and Welsh rugby, respectively.
The 50-minute episode was pretty wide-ranging, covering the ongoing competition but also the family's love of sport and their own sporting experiences. While the setting for the recording was rather grand (see the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle above!), the royals were relaxed, interrupting one another throughout the discussion and joking about as they discussed the value of team sports and the benefits of being active.
We'll let you enjoy it for yourselves, but to whet your appetites, here are a few fun tidbits we learned:
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The Princess Royal became patron of Scottish rugby 37 years ago ... by accident. It turns out she was asked to officially open the East Stand at Murrayfield Stadium "at about two weeks' notice because they'd been let down," she recalled, adding that a month later she was asked to become patron.
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Tindall outed Kate for her competitive streak. Despite her weak denial and a very big grin as she proclaimed, "I'm not competitive at all," Tindall quipped that he'd "seen her play beer pong," which caused everyone to burst into laughter.
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William said the only time he's ever cried watching sport was when his cousin Zara, an accomplished rider, won at the European Equestrian Championships in 2005. He recalled being away camping, huddled around a phone to watch his cousin's triumph and "was in pieces."
Watch the whole show here.
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Prince William and Kate attend a service at St. Davids Cathedral on the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's death on September 8, 2023 in St. Davids, Wales. |
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Where are the Queen's dogs now? |
Many around the country reflected on memories of the late Queen last Friday as the nation marked one year since her death. William and Kate represented the family by attending a service in Wales commemorating her life. They were among several family members who took to their official social media accounts to share their thoughts on the poignant anniversary. The couple posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. W & C." In a touching Instagram post, Princess Eugenie wrote she was thinking of her grandmother, who is "always in my heart." Meanwhile, Eugenie's mother, Sarah Ferguson, said that "as we mourn a year on, we also celebrate the wonderful times we shared." It was revealed following the Queen's death that two of the matriarch's beloved Pembroke Welsh corgis, Sandy and Muick, would be rehomed with the Duchess of York. In her anniversary post, Ferguson provided an update after being "entrusted" with their care, saying she was "delighted to say they are thriving." Take a look.
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Princess Diana wore many show-stopping outfits over the years, making an indelible impact on fashion history as it relates to royal dress codes, semiotics and more.
But on Thursday in New York, the record for the highest price paid at auction for a garment worn by Diana wasn't broken by an elegant evening gown or rare designer accessory. Instead, it was country casual knitwear. Read the full story on CNN Style. |
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"If you're someone with a platform and someone who has been brought up living a life of service, I felt as though I needed to do something."
– Prince Harry on why he founded his Invictus Games for wounded and disabled military veterans
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The Duke of Sussex has been joining in the fun in Düsseldorf this week. He's spent much of his time greeting competitors at this year's games and has often been spotted in the stands, enthusiastically cheering on the athletes. While in Germany, he appeared on a late-night TV show on CNN affiliate ZDF, where he spoke about how his years in the military pushed him to create a platform for veterans "to flourish." He said: "One of the main things about Invictus is giving these guys a chance to continue to serve. Because again, as I've said before, that service runs in our blood." He was also challenged to a fun penalty shoot-out, which you can watch here.
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