Prince William and Kate Middleton are coming to Boston in December, as they announced Wednesday that the city has been selected to host their second annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
"In 2022, we're back and bringing Earthshot to the USA where we'll award the next five winners of the Prize," Prince William said in an announcement video posted to Twitter on Wednesday morning.
The video then shows Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who is currently at the All-Star Game in Los Angeles, standing in the outfield at Fenway Park, saying "And we will be doing it right here in Boston."
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The Earthshot Prize is a global environmental prize founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2020. It was inspired by President John F. Kennedy's "Moonshot," and aims to "discover and scale the best solutions to help repair our planet during this decisive decade," according to a press release. The John F. Kennedy Library foundation will serve as host partner alongside Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of Boston as the awards ceremony is brought to the U.S. for the first time.
The ceremony will be held in early December 2022, though no exact date or location was released.
“There is no more important Moonshot today than repairing the planet and no better place to harness the Moonshot spirit than the City of Boston,” said Ambassador Caroline Kennedy. “It is a great tribute to President Kennedy that The Earthshot Prize will partner with the JFK Library Foundation to host the 2022 ceremony in Boston and inspire a new generation with the possibility of a sustainable future.”
“In Boston, we’re not just aiming to improve Boston’s ability to tackle climate change—we’re setting an example for how imaginative, community-driven climate leadership can reshape what’s possible. We are honored and excited that Boston has been selected to host the 2022 Earthshot Awards,” Wu said. “This is an opportunity to shine a global spotlight on our efforts to combat climate change and demonstrate that, together, we can meet the urgency this moment demands with innovative solutions that protect our planet and future generations.”
“It’s really an existential crisis," said David Morimoto, a conservation biologist at Lesley University. He said anything that drives focus on the environment is critical. “The attention now is being focused at a larger scale which is really the scale we have to focus on so an international award I think is extremely important and timely.”
"I think that Prince William particularly wants to make a mark on a major global issue like climate change," said Nicoletta Gullace, a modern British history professor at the University of New Hampshire who often speaks about the royals. "If William comes he would do well to bring Kate because there will be a lot of interest in what she’s wearing, and she’s also a very genial and amiable presence. She always makes a good impression publicly."
The second annual awards ceremony will celebrate this year’s cohort of 15 incredible global Finalists before awarding the five Winners of The Earthshot Prize. Last year’s first-ever awards ceremony took place in London, featured show-stopping musical performances, and introduced the world to the individuals and teams whose solutions have the power to help repair the planet and improve life for people everywhere.
