Prince William and Kate Middleton are heading to Boston in December for the Earthshot Prize, their first trip to the United States in eight years. It’ll be their third time stateside—in 2014, they visited New York City, and in 2011, not long after their royal wedding, they visited Los Angeles.
And, according to royal expert Omid Scobie, this third visit might be the precursor of many more to come, as the Duke of Cambridge in particular is keen to have a presence in the country that his younger brother Prince Harry and sister-in-law Meghan Markle now call home.
Per The Mirror, Scobie says a source told him “William is keen for his work to be seen and have an impact outside of the U.K. and the royal bubble.” He added “the charitable landscape in America is huge, and he wants to have a presence.”
According to the outlet, speculation is even underway that the Cambridges could embark on a full U.S. tour, with stops to include Washington, D.C. and a return trip to the Big Apple. Scobie says he’s been told “reconnaissance has been scheduled to gauge for engagements for the couple in Boston—and even beyond,” The Mirror reports.
“Though the source made no mention of it, I wondered if a little competitiveness with his brother might be in the mix, too,” Scobie says. “Harry’s popularity in Britain may be suffering, but his rise in the U.S. has seen the Archewell Foundation receive huge attention from an impressive list of donors, and his charitable efforts and campaigning has quickly seen him acknowledged by the likes of Forbes and TIME, who named him and Meghan two of the world’s most influential people.”
Of course, the Cambridges’ main focus will always be on the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth—as it should be—but the couple seems to recognize the power the U.S. holds globally.
“And who can blame them?” Scobie says. “Interest in the royal family on the world stage has long been an essential asset to Britain’s appeal abroad.”
The way we see it, the more royals on American soil, the better!
