Prince William and Kate Middleton prepare for A-list Earthshot prize ceremony

The Prince and Princess of Wales are set for a star-studded whirlwind visit to Boston this week, from meetings about Kate’s work in child development to a glittering Earthshot prize award ceremony at the finale of their trip.

Prince William, 40, and Kate Middleton, 40, are set to undertake a number of engagements during the three day trip this week, showcasing issues including climate change, vulnerable young people, and green tech.

The star-studded award ceremony on Friday will see A-list actors like Rami Malek and Catherine O’Hara present awards, while Annie Lennox, Billie Eilish, Ellie Goulding and R&B duo Chloe x Halle will all perform. 

It comes as experts said that it is hugely significant that the couple’s first foreign trip since the Queen’s death is to America where they will try to ‘redress the balance’ after the damage Harry and Meghan have inflicted with their attacks on the Royal Family in the US media. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales are set for a star-studded whirlwind visit to Boston this week, with a glittering Earthshot prize award ceremony at the finale of their trip

Attendees of the event will include Academy Award-Winning actor Rami; actor, screenwriter and comedian Catherine and actor and advocate Shailene Woodley.

Rami said: ‘The fifteen Finalists of this year’s Earthshot Prize are deeply inspiring.

‘They are dedicating their lives to building solutions that will repair our planet, and I can’t wait to present an award to one of the incredible Winners for 2022.’

Meanwhile Catherine said: ‘Repairing our planet is one of the most important things we can do in our lifetimes. 

The star-studded award ceremony will see Billie Eilish (left) and R&B duo Chloe x Halle perform (right, Halle) 

Meanwhile Ellie Goulding, who performed at the Prince and Princess’ wedding in 2021, will also sing at the event 

‘The passion and ambition of this year’s Earthshot Finalists is much needed in a world of such turmoil, and I am truly honoured to play a role in helping them share their work with the world.’

This year’s awards will also feature performances from Annie Lennox; Billie Eilish accompanied by her brother and creative partner, FINNEAS; R&B duo Chloe x Halle and platinum selling artist and activist Ellie Goulding. 

Ellie, who performed at the Prince and Princess’ wedding, said: ‘I am a big supporter of the Prince of Wales’ passion for the environment and share in The Earthshot Prize’s mission to protect and restore our planet.

‘I am particularly excited for viewers around the world to learn about the innovative solutions presented by this year’s cohort of Finalists.’   

The glittering event will be hosted by award-winning broadcaster, podcaster and television presenter Clara Amfo and actor, producer and director Daniel Dae Kim. 

Clara said: ‘What an honour to return for a second time to host The Earthshot Prize awards, this time from America!

‘I was so inspired by last year’s Winners, and I’m looking forward to celebrating and sharing the incredible work of the 2022 Finalists with the world.’  

Each winning solution will be awarded £1 million in prize funding to help support and scale their innovations, with the potential to repair our planet.

The ceremony will also feature natural historian and Member of The Earthshot Prize Council, Sir David Attenborough. The Prince of Wales will deliver remarks at the end of the ceremony.

A royal source said: ‘The prize has become the prince’s Superbowl moment of the year, and he looks forward to continuing to use the platform each year to shine a light on some of the most impactful projects doing amazing things around the world to save our planet’s future.’

The royal source added: ‘Inclusivity is a key part of the Earthshot’s mission. This year’s nominees are drawn from all corners of the planet, truly showcasing the best of human ingenuity. From indigenous leadership in Australia to female-led solutions in Kenya, diverse stories and solutions are at the heart of the prize.

‘Inclusivity will be a key part of the wider trip too – during our time in Boston, the prince and princess will meet Boston-based indigenous leaders.’

Ahead of the glittering event, the couple will have a jam packed few days in the city.

They will arrive on Wednesday, where they will attend a special event with the Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, as well as a visit by The Prince to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum with Ambassador Caroline Kennedy.

Recognising the significant challenges that the coastal city of Boston faces as a result of climate change, The Prince and Princess will see for themselves the work that local organisations are doing to mitigate the risk of rising sea levels. 

The couple will also spend time learning about some of the innovative green technologies that have been incubated in the area during a visit to Greentown Labs in Somerville.

The pair will then take time to meet with those who are working to support vulnerable members of the local community. 

They will hear about the efforts of Roca, a non-profit organisation working for nearly 35 years to bring public systems together in a cohesive approach to save and change the trajectory of the lives of high-risk young people.

While in the city, The Princess of Wales will take the opportunity to visit the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.

A long-standing friend of The Royal Foundation and The Centre for Early Childhood, the Harvard Center is a world leader on research into the lifelong impact of experiences in early childhood.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will not be distracted by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they visit the US next week, according to the Telegraph.

Citing a foreign office source, the paper reported while the palace team is ‘highly cognizant’ of Meghan, 41, and Harry, 38, they  are ‘not scared of their shadows on this’.

The source added: ‘William is the future King. Harry has taken his path, she’s doing her podcast, they’ve got their issues, but the palace isn’t going to run scared of that, so kudos to them.’

Royal watchers have noted that the Ripple of Hope Award Gala will be held in New York City just days later on December 6, where the Sussexes will pick up an award for their work on racial justice, mental health and causes that make a positive social impact.

The Sussexes are reportedly expected to attend the event, at which Robert F. Kennedy’s daughter says she will honour the couple for their ‘heroic’ stance against the ‘structural racism’ of the royal family.

Kerry Kennedy, one of RFK and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children and the president of the foundation, says that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have challenged the royal family’s ‘power structure.’   

Kennedy, the ex-wife of disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, told Spanish news site El Confidencial: ‘They went to the oldest institution in UK history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn’t have structural racism within the institution; that they could not maintain a misunderstanding about mental health.’

Activist and actress Annie Lennox will be among the A-listers who will be in attendance at the event in Boston 

Rami Malek (left) and Catherine O’Hara (right) will also attend the event in Boston to present awards 

She spoke about her late father’s visit to apartheid South Africa in 1966 and said that Harry and Meghan have the ‘moral courage’ that many people didn’t to discuss racial justice.   

Kennedy said: ‘Few would have the courage to question their colleagues, family and community about the power structure they maintained, and this is what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have done.’ 

She added that the Sussexes ‘knew that if they did this there would be consequences… and that people would blame them for it. They have done it anyway because they believed they couldn’t live with themselves if they didn’t question this authority.’

‘I think they have been heroic in taking this step,’ she said. 

Harry and Meghan stunned the world by quitting the royal family in January 2020.

The highlight of the Wales’ trip will be the Earthshot Prize awards in Boston on December 2 (William and Kate pictured at last year’s Earthshot Prize awards)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to be honored by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, with the former Secretary of State’s daughter praising them for their ‘heroic’ stance against the racism of the British monarchy

Last year, they gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey where Meghan claimed an unnamed member of the royal family had expressed concerns about their unborn baby’s skin tone while she was pregnant with firstborn, Archie.   

Meghan is biracial; her mother Doria Ragland is black, while estranged dad Thomas Markle is white. 

Previous winners of the award include Presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, former presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Al Gore, Bono and Desmond Tutu. 

Kerry Kennedy’s comments are in stark contrast to her brother, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called the decision ‘bewildering.’   

Kerry Kennedy, one of RFK and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children and the president of the foundation, says that the Sussexes have challenged the royal family’s ‘power structure’

RFK Jr. has no involvement in who receives the award, which is intended for ‘exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy’, but was surprised by this year’s choice

Speaking to DailyMail.com exclusively on Monday, he said it was however ‘still an encouraging step up’ from Anthony Fauci, who won the award two years ago on behalf of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘It’s a bewildering choice but still an encouraging step up from 2020,’ RFK Jr. said, referring to Fauci, about whom he has written a scathing book, and who he believes is a ‘fraud’.   

RFK Jr. has no involvement in who receives the award, which is intended for ‘exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy’, but was surprised  by this year’s choice. 

He and Kerry routinely spar publicly, especially over his vehement anti-vaccine stance.