- Prince William is in New York City ahead of the Earthshot Prize finalists announcement
- On his first day, the Prince of Wales will be at Governors Island overseeing the Billion Oysters Project
- The British royal interacted with local restaurateurs and volunteering students who are part of the project to learn about their efforts, in line with his own climate change initiatives
Prince William visits New York City
Prince William is visiting New York City, starting September 18, for a two-day excursion to promote the 2023 Earthshot Prize and announce the finalists for the ceremony. The Prince of Wales will begin his initiative with a visit to Governors Island to learn about the Billion Oysters Project, which is listed as "an initiative which aims to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor with the help of students, volunteers and restaurateurs," as per a press release.
The Prince of Wales touches down
This afternoon, the British royal touched down in the United States, arriving at Newark Airport in New Jersey just outside of the city. Upon arriving, his first remarks were: "It's so good to be back in United States. 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.
"80 years ago, the world came together in this great city to find a new way, through the UN, to solve our shared challenges. I know our generation can take the bold action we need to make changes towards a healthy and sustainable world. The challenge may feel huge, but as John F Kennedy taught us, we rise to the challenge not because it is easy, but because it is hard. And vital."
The Prince kicks off his visit in dramatic style
Prince William kicked off his day in New York by boarding a boat to travel across the Hudson River with the Manhattan skyline in the background as the rains pelting the city earlier in the day finally let up.
After arriving via a commercial flight, the Prince of Wales took off straight to a hatchery center for the fledgling oysters on Governors Island with Pete Malinowski, co-founder and executive director of the Billion Oyster Project.
More on the Billion Oyster Project and Prince William’s association
As per their official release, the Billion Oyster Project "is a nonprofit organization on a mission to restore oysters reefs to New York Harbor through public education initiatives."
Their aim is to restore 1 billion oysters by 2023, and they've so far introduced 122 million across 19 acres of New York Harbor, with more than 11,000 students and 15,000 volunteers engaged so far.
As part of his climate awareness initiative, the foundation for the Earthshot Prize, Prince William will meet with a group of high school students who are volunteering with the project at their headquarters on Governors Island.
To learn more, click here
Where is Princess Kate?
The Princess of Wales, meanwhile, stayed behind in the UK for this jaunt, and made an appearance at the Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton in Somerset on Monday.
You can check out more of her visit here
The poignant history behind Prince William's visit
This is Prince William's first visit to New York City since 2014, and his first time in the United States since November last year, when he visited Boston with Kate ahead of the annual Earthshot Prize ceremony. Read more about it below:
READ: Prince William and Princess Kate land in Boston for milestone royal tour
This specific visit to New York was delayed from its original September 2022 date due to the tragic passing of his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
First glimpses of Prince William's day
New photos from the event show the Prince of Wales participating in lively discussions with not only officials, but also the local high schoolers, who enthusiastically welcomed the royal into their mix.
© Getty ImagesHe was later seen immersing himself into the experience (quite literally), wading into the East River with volunteers to retrieve some of the oysters. At the event, the Prince, who wore a cap against the persist rain and waders, went waist deep into the waters to lift up a cage of oyster shells close to the Brooklyn shore not far from Governors Island.
© Getty ImagesCaptain William!
Ahoy there! Prince William sailed out to Governors Island via a boat across the Hudson River, pictured in stylish fashion below...
© Getty ImagesRest of the Day
Following his Billion Oysters engagement, Prince William will head to midtown Manhattan to the United Nations, where he'll meet with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres as the 78th session of the UN General Assembly begins.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: "The prince is very much looking forward to seeing the secretary general and they are expected to speak about climate change and the environment as well as the innovative solutions that the Earthshot Prize is cultivating around the world."
Signing Off
And that's it for today's live updates! Thanks for joining us as we recapped the Prince of Wales' first day in New York City.
Be sure to tune in for more tomorrow as he announces the finalists for the Earthshot Prize and continues his long-awaited United States sojourn. See you then!
To read more outtakes from our reporting, check out these stories below:
MORE: Awestruck NYC students share 'incredible' interaction with Prince William
MORE: Prince William collaborates with global leaders in New York on climate and development
