Welcome to the Big Apple, Big Willy!
Prince William is going solo for his upcoming trip New York City to attend the Earthshot Prize Annual Innovation Summit.
The Duke of Cambridge, 41, will jet set to Manhattan on Sept. 18 and 19, Kensington Palace revealed yesterday.
William is set to make a long-delayed appearance at the event, which is co-hosted by the Earthshot Prize and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
“The Summit, held during New York Climate Week and the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, will convene previous Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists with policymakers, global business leaders, philanthropists and climate activists to scale their innovative solutions,” Kensington Palace announced in a statement.
The summit will unveil the 15 prize finalists for 2023, with the awards set to be presented in Singapore come November.
William and his wife Kate Middleton, 41, are both set to be in attendance at the award show in Asia. The eventual top 5 prize recipients will score a cool $1,200,000 (£1 million) each to put toward executing their environmental initiatives.
William will also carry out additional meetings and public engagements in the city that never sleeps, which will be announced at a later stage, according the palace reps.
While the father of three was actually going to attend the panel last year, his plans were derailed by the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.
He released a video message at the time and discussed the Summit, touching upon the sadness of the circumstances.
“I am pleased to join you in video form as you gather in New York for the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit,” he said. “During this time of grief, I take great comfort in your continued enthusiasm, optimism and commitment to the Earthshot Prize and what we are trying to achieve.”
The Prince of Wales went on: “Protecting the environment was a cause close to my grandmother’s heart, and I know she would have been delighted to hear about this event and the support you’re all giving our Earthshot finalists, the next generation of environmental pioneers.”
Much like when he and Kate visited Boston for the Earthshot ceremony in 2022, it is not expected that William will see his embattled brother or sister-in-law while in the states.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traveled from their home in California to New York in May for an awards ceremony, after which they released a statement saying they were “involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.”
At the September 2023 ceremony, five winners will be announced across the categories, “Protect and Restore Nature,” “Clean Our Air,” “Revive Our Oceans,” “Build a Waste-Free World” and “Fix Our Climate.”
Environmentalism and climate change are some of William’s main charitable causes like his father, King Charles.
“The Earth is at a tipping point and we face a stark choice: either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet, or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve,” William has said in a 2020 statement about his decision to launch the awards. “People can achieve great things. The next 10 years present us with one of our greatest tests – a decade of action to repair the Earth.”
Much like when William and Kate made a three-day visit to Boston for the 2022 Earthshot ceremony, it is not expected that William will see his estranged brother or sister-in-law while in the states, Town & Country reported.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traveled from their home in Montecito, California to NYC in May for a different awards ceremony, after which they released an infamous statement claiming they were “involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.”