At the conclusion of their first day in the United States, the Prince and Princess of Wales went courtside to witness an NBA game between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.
The three-day vacation to Boston by William and Kate has been overshadowed by the developing racial scandal involving the future King’s godmother, which has led to the monarchy being accused of being institutionally racist.
Lady Susan Hussey has resigned from her position in the royal household and apologised after repeatedly questioning Ngozi Fulani, a notable black British-born domestic violence charity CEO, during a Buckingham Palace banquet about where she “truly came from.”
The prince is said to have agreed that Lady Susan should stand down from her honorary position as one of three Ladies of the Household, with a Kensington Palace spokeswoman telling reporters in the United States ahead of the three-day trip to Boston: “Racism has no place in our society.”
Ms Fulani, on the other hand, stated that she did not want Lady Susan to quit because of the “overt racism” she feels she was exposed to.
“It’s awful for me that it’s ended that way,” Ms Fulani told The Guardian. I would have rather that she be talked to or educated.”
The prince and princess were spotted watching avidly as the Celtics raced into an early lead on Wednesday night, and throughout the event sat beside Massachusetts Governor-Elect Maura Healey, Celtics Legend Thomas “Satch” Sanders, and the team’s two primary owners and their wives.
Kate and William stood for the national anthem The Star Spangled Banner, but when they were announced by a stadium speaker and appeared on the big screen, there were small pockets of booing across the arena.
The name of the Boston Celtics was inspired by the Original Celtics, a well-known hoop club founded by Irish immigrants in New York early in the twentieth century before dissolving in 1930.
When the Prince and Princess appeared on the screens in the centre above the court, other supporters in the audience could be heard loudly screaming “USA, USA.”
With the game tied at 47 at the end of the second quarter, William and Kate watched as the Celtics honoured their long-standing tradition of recognising a “Hero Among Us,” those trying to positively influence the community.
Ollie Perrault, a 15-year-old climate activist who has become the director and founder of Youth Climate Action Now, met the royal couple after being applauded by the local crowd for her efforts as a leader in the Youth Climate Leadership Program since she was 11 years old.
William and Kate will visit Greentown Labs on Thursday, a digital cluster that has been cultivating climate pioneers for over a decade.
Greentown is said to be North America’s largest climate technology start-up incubator, having backed over 500 firms since its inception in 2011, which have created over 9,000 jobs and received more than four billion dollars (£3.3 billion) in capital.
They will also visit Roca, a non-profit organisation that works with young people who are at danger of being embroiled in urban violence.
The pair will meet with organisation executives to learn about their intervention methodology, as well as spend time with women in the young moms’ programme and current and graduates of the young men’s programme.
The ‘Royal Race Row’ Threatens to Overshadow Prince William and Wife Kate’s US Tour
