Prince William’s two-day trip to the United States to promote his Earthshot Prize has been deemed “a great success” by sources close to the royal, who was recently voted more popular than President Biden by Americans in a Gallup poll.
As William leaves the US following the Earthshot Summit, sources told Vanity Fair that the prince and his aides believe the tour has been “really successful” and he is quietly delighted by how well he was received.
On Monday, William was enthusiastically welcomed by the President of Ecuador with whom he held a 30-minute bilateral meeting and was warmly greeted by UN Chief António Guterres with whom he discussed climate change.
The high-profile trip got off to an upbeat start with William praising Americans for their optimistic outlook. “No one does optimism and ingenuity like the American people, so it’s only right we unveil this year’s Earthshot finalists in New York City,” he said shortly after his arrival.
While the trip was focused on the summit and the announcement of the 15 finalists ahead of November’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Singapore, the trip has also positioned William as Prince of Wales on the global stage. Largely focused on domestic engagements and issues, William has only carried out a handful of overseas engagements since inheriting the title, and it is significant that he has traveled to America twice in the past year. “America is important to the Prince and Princess of Wales,” said an insider.
A recent poll placed William as the most popular of 15 public figures ahead of President Biden and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a detail Mike Bloomberg pointed out during the Earthshot summit on Tuesday. While the palace takes little interest in public opinion polls, this one did not go unnoticed. “America matters to the royal family, they enjoy great support in the States and it’s important that they continue to do so,” said royal historian Gareth Russell. “For William to come top of the poll is impressive indeed. When you consider that he has had quite a lot of controversy aimed at him by his brother who of course lives in America, it’s quite a coup to come out tops. Many thought the Oprah interview would decimate him but actually his popularity has increased.”
