Prince William called himself a “stubborn optimist” before he and Kate arrived at an awards ceremony for his environmental award.
The Prince of Wales said this in an article published a few hours before the ceremony in the American city of Boston.
He said he wanted to “boost” the impact of his Earthshot Prize finalists to inspire a “desperate world” that there is a way forward.
Read more: William and Kate have their moment to shine during a visit to Boston plagued by bad news
Singer Billie Eilish will lead the entertainment line-up during the ceremony, which aims to celebrate and scale up environmental solutions to fix the planet.
Former England and Manchester United footballer David Beckham will present one of five awards, with each category winner receiving £1million to develop their own design.
David Beckham at the Earthshot Awards Ceremony
Writing in the Huffington Post, the future king said of the finalists: “The Earthshot Prize is about finding the best in them. We want to celebrate and support them, so we not only enhance their positive impact, but also show a desperate world that there is an optimistic way forward.
“The dire predictions about our natural world aren’t the only side of this story, and they don’t have to be our future.”
William described his thinking behind the award and said he was inspired by President John F Kennedy’s successful “Moonshot” ambition to put a man on the moon.
He said: “We face a seemingly insurmountable challenge like putting a person on the moon: to reverse the damage that has been done to our planet and set us on the path to a more sustainable future.
“Fixing our planet won’t be easy, but the need for action to protect our natural world is undeniable.”
The Prince of Wales with Ambassador Caroline Kennedy (left), daughter of John F. Kennedy
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Analysis – Real visit clouded by a flurry of bad news
Previously the Prince of Wales met with US President Joe Biden for a “warm, friendly and substantive discussion” about William Earthshot Award.
Kensington Palace said the president was eager to hear about the awards and some of the stories from the finalists when the couple met at the JFK Library.
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Prince William met with US President Joe Biden during a trip to Boston
William also thanked the president for traveling to London for the funeral of his grandmother the Queen in September and the couple shared memories of the late monarch.
Prior to the award ceremony, William visited the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston with JFK’s daughter and his children Jack and Tatiana Schlossberg, while Kate visited Harvard University to speak with experts on early years child development.
Meeting staff at the Center on the Developing Child, the Princess of Wales said: ‘There is so much amazing work going on and we need to start sharing the learning and the science and what can be done better and improved to help children in the trajectory in adult life”.
Following the visit, the Kennedys joined William for a private lunch and discussion with representatives of the founding partner organizations of the Earthshot Prize.
The Princess of Wales during a visit to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child
Visit ruined by race queue
The couple’s three-day trip to Boston was overshadowed by a race row which saw William’s godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, step down as royal aide after repeatedly asking a prominent British-born black domestic abuse charity head where she “really came from”.
He also saw a trailer promoting the Harry and Meghan Netflix docuseries released yesterday, with the timing being interpreted by some royal commentators as a snub.
