"A piece of history": Prince William, Princess Catherine meet fans in Chelsea, Somerville
CHELSEA - Prince William and Princess Catherine made it clear that their focus this week is on climate solutions, The Earthshot Prize, and meeting the people of Greater Boston. They checked the first two off their list.
Thursday was about facetime with locals, and it was evident that their fanbase spans all generations.
In a sea of admirers in Somerville, it was a boy dressed as a member of the King's Guard who caught the royals' attention.
"I am going to scream to my BFF and tell them I am famous because I got to be like every single newspaper, on the TV. It was crazy," said 8-year-old Henry Duinov-Teixeira, dressed in a Beefeater costume
With the bouquet he gave them in hand, it was off to Greentown Labs, a hub of start-ups focused on environmental protection, things like sustainable oil and equipment that analyzes air quality among other things.
The next stop was Chelsea. Some in the crowd had intimate access, even handing Princess Catherine a children's book.
"It's such a unique and rare experience for the royals to be in the United States especially so close to us," a woman said.
This stop shifted the focus to another passion for the prince and princess: social justice and mental health. The agency called Roca helps young people at risk. The royal couple played with young children and listened to older clients.
"It was definitely a different experience," a man at Roca said. "Not something the average person gets to see every day especially around this area we don't have royals around here."
A thrill that had some straining for pictures as the couple left.
"Been here like over an hour. So, your hands are so frozen but it's worth every minute just to see a piece of history here," a royal admirer said.
For some a memory of a lifetime.
More face-to-face visits with locals are planned for tomorrow at Harvard University before The Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony at MGM Music Hall at Fenway.