The first Earthshot Prize awards ceremony was held last year at London’s Alexandra Palace.
But Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine, commented that the royals, “particularly as far as America is concerned, have had a bit of a bumpy ride of late”.
He said: “They’ve come in for huge amounts of criticism on the back of ‘The Crown’ and also the Oprah Winfrey interview, which has not particularly reflected well on the House of Windsor.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ trip, therefore, is a “good opportunity” to “redress the balance, if at all possible”.
The Prince and Princess of Wales depart on Wednesday (Image: Getty)
The first Earthshot Prize awards were held at Alexandra Palace in October 2021 (Image: Getty)
A source has said the Prince and Princess of Wales are “both extremely excited for the visit”.
It will be the first time they have visited the US since 2014.
The unnamed source told PEOPLE: “They feel and appreciate the warmth and excitement of the American people for their return to the U.S. and are really looking forward to meeting as many folks as possible.”
But Prince Harry and Meghan, who quit senior royal duties in 2020 before moving to the west coast of the US, will be just a few hours away in New York at the time.
It is not thought the two couples will reunite in the US (Image: Getty)
The Duke and Duchess are to be honoured on December 6 in a ceremony for “exemplary leaders”.
Previous recipients include ex-presidents, with this year adding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the list.
The couple have been vocally critical of the Royal Family in the US media, including during their 2021 interview with US chat show host, Oprah Winfrey.
The relationship between the Waleses and the Sussexes is still thought to be frosty despite joint engagements following the death of Queen Elizabeth II earlier this year.
The Sussexes will be just a few hours away in New York at the time (Image: Getty)
Kerry Kennedy, the late RFK’s daughter, and the niece of former president JFK, said the Duke and Duchess had been “heroic” in their efforts to stand up to “structural racism within the institution” of the monarchy.
Source: EXPRESS CO UK
