Prince William‘s glitzy Earthshot Prize gala kicked off on a star-studded note this evening, with several stars making a very early arrival on the eco-friendly ‘green carpet’ at the event – which has been hailed as the royal’s ‘Super Bowl moment’.
Ahead of William and Kate’s own ‘green carpet’ appearance at the ceremony, a few celebrities turned up to show their support for the royals and their environmental initiative, including actress Shailene Woodley, who is presenting an award at the event, and Ellie Goulding.
Halle Bailey, star of Disney’s upcoming live-action version of The Little Mermaid, her sister Chloe, Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara and Bohemian Rhapsody actor Rami Malek.
The evening was also given some political cache in the form of former Presidential candidate and Utah Senator Mitt Romney, who arrived at the gala event with his wife – whose arrival at the MGM Music Hall came just an hour after Prince William met with President Joe Biden.
William and Kate need this evening’s event to go off without a hitch. While much pressure was already being placed on the gala that weight increased tenfold in the wake of the controversies that have overshadowed the couple’s US tour.
Before the couple had even touched down in the US, a furious race row had erupted in the UK after the Prince’s own godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, was accused of making racist comments to black domestic abuse campaigner Ngozi Fulani at a Buckingham Palace event.
Then on Thursday, the first full day of their tour, Prince Harry and Meghan dropped a trailer for the bombshell Netflix documentary, which hinted at fresh attacks on the Monarchy – and was described by insiders as a ‘declaration of war’ on the Waleses and the royal family.
Shailene Woodley and Ellie Goulding pulled out all the style stops as they attended Prince William and Kate’s Earthshot Prize gala in Boston this evening
David Beckham was announced as a last-minute addition to the presenting line-up today
A host of celebrities turned out to support the Prince and Princess of Wales at the Earthshot Prize gala this evening, with Halle Bailey – star of Disney’s upcoming live-action version of The Little Mermaid – and her sister Chloe among the first to arrive
While the Prince and Princess of Wales have not faltered in their engagements thus far, remaining cool, calm and collected, at least on the surface, behind-the-scenes, the Monarchy is grappling with two large scandals, both of which have unfolded during the couple’s first US trip in eight years.
On Tuesday night, hours before William and Kate touched down at Boston Logan International Airport, the Prince’s own godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, sparked a furious race row when she was accused of making racist comments to black domestic abuse campaigner Ngozi Fulani at a Buckingham Palace event.
As William and Kate were mid-flight, their Kensington Palace spokesperson issued a statement condemning the ‘unacceptable’ comments made by Lady Hussey – who resigned from her role in the royal household – however the controversy has already cast a bleak shadow over what was meant to be a ‘Super Bowl’ moment for the Prince.
Then, on Wednesday morning – the first full day of engagements for the pair – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped the trailer for their bombshell Netflix documentary in a move that has been described as a ‘declaration of war’ by Palace insiders.
The teaser trailer dispelled any hopes that the Sussexes are willing to work towards a ceasefire in their acrimonious battle with the Royal Family.
Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara was one of the first stars to arrive at Prince William and Kate’s glitzy Earthshot Prize gala in Boston this evening
Rami Malek was also among the earliest arrivals at the gala, where he is due to present an award
Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney added some political cache to the evening as he arrived with his wife Ann – just one hour after Prince William met with President Joe Biden
As well as including dozens of supposedly private pictures from their family album, the footage includes a voiceover from Harry saying gravely, ‘no-one sees what’s happening behind closed doors’ over a black and white picture of his wife on an armchair, apparently crying.
The film then immediately cuts away to a shot focusing on a pinched-looking William and Kate at the 2019 Commonwealth Service in London, with the Sussexes sitting meekly behind them.
The message, say royal sources, is unmistakable. ‘I don’t see how anyone could view it as anything other than a declaration of war,’ said one.
Guests at the event are being encouraged to wear re-used, vintage, or second-hand clothing – and it is expected that William and Kate (seen at a red carpet event in May) will follow that guidance
However, William and Kate have pushed on with their tour through it all, seemingly remaining steadfastly cool and calm – and all the while with wide smiles on their faces whenever they have been in front of the cameras.
Yesterday afternoon, their composure was put to the test once again when they came face-to-face with an African-American Reverend who gave a lecture about the ‘legacy of colonialism’ at their Earthshot launch on Wednesday – just hours after news of the Buckingham Palace race row emerged.
The Prince and Princess of Wales came together with Reverend Mariama White-Hammond for their third official engagement on Thursday, which saw them visiting Boston Harbor Defenses despite the biting cold to learn about the impact of rising sea levels on the city’s shoreline.
If the couple felt any awkwardness at being reunited with Reverend White-Hammond – who urged the crowds at their Earthshot Prize launch on Wednesday to ‘consider the legacy of colonialism and racism’ as the Prince and Princess watched on from the wings – they did not allow it to show on their faces.
Although insiders insisted that Kate and William were ‘determined’ not to get side-tracked from their mission to launch the Prince’s Earthshot Prize awards in the US, the issues of race and equality were quickly brought to the forefront of the event by Reverend White-Hammond’s speech.
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Just minutes before William and Kate took to the podium at the launch event, the Reverend, who serves as the city’s Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space, gave a strong speech in which she told the crowd to ‘consider the legacy of colonialism and racism’, particularly when it comes to their impact on climate change.
She continued: ‘The ways it has impacted people across the world and its connection, its deep connection to the degradation of land and our planet that we are all seeking to reverse.
‘The stories lost, the species made extinct, but also the persistence of people in the face of oppression and the fundamental dignity of all of our relations.’
Although no mention was made about Lady Susan, who was accused of making racist comments to black domestic abuse campaigner Ngozi Fulani at a Buckingham Palace event on Tuesday night, few could fail to connect the controversy with Reverend White-Hammond’s remarks.
Vegan makeup, BURLAP decor… and recycled outfits for the royal hosts: Inside Prince William and Kate’s VERY eco-friendly plans for glitzy Earthshot Prize gala – as they share behind-the-scenes glimpse at their prep for the star-studded event
- The Prince of Wales will host his second inaugural Earthshot Prize ceremony in Boston tonight
- His glitzy, star-studded event will be attended by the likes of Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox, and Rami Malek
- The Earthshot Prize is meant to highlight some of the leading climate change innovations and solutions
- In keeping with that theme, William and Kate have implemented several eco-friendly steps in their planning of the event – from using largely vegan makeup to recycling the ‘green carpet’ at the end of the night
- Ahead of the event, the couple shared a series of black-and-white photos from their preparations for the gala
- It marks the final engagement in the Prince and Princess of Wales’ three-day US tour – which has been marred by controversy amid the Buckingham Palace race row and Harry and Meghan’s Netflix trailer release
BY REBECCA ENGLISH, ROYAL EDITOR IN BOSTON FOR MAILONLINE AND CHARLIE LANKSTON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
It has been hailed as Prince William’s ‘Super Bowl’ moment – and the royal seems determined to ensure that his glitzy, eco-friendly Earthshot Prize gala is nothing short of a triumphant touchdown.
On the surface, the star-studded event has all the trappings of a glamorous Hollywood awards show, from its very well-publicized build-up to its list of celebrity guests, which includes the likes of Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox and Rami Malek.
But while William and Kate are no doubt hoping that the A-list crowd will help to draw positive attention to their event – which is taking place under the shadow of Buckingham Palace’s race row and in the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan’s bombshell Netflix trailer drop – they are also very eager to ensure that not a single foot is put out of line as far as the gala’s eco-friendly theme is concerned.
To that end, the couple – who today amplified the hype surrounding the event by releasing a series of artsy black-and-white images of themselves preparing for it – has implemented a host of very ‘green’ measures for the evening’s soiree, from wearing ‘recycled’ outfits on the red carpet to using burlap decor and a re-used green carpet.
Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a glimpse at some of their last-minute preparations for the gala on Instagram today
In the artsy black-and-white photos, the Princess of Wales is seen strutting across a lit-up stage surrounded by greenery, while her husband is pictured chatting with organizers
In short, the Earthshot Prize – and its accompanying TV broadcast – are intended to be one of the greenest televised events in history.
Even before the guests arrive at the gala they will have been given a very green dose of eco-friendly advice and rules to follow, with attendees encouraged to ‘consider their clothing’ for the occasion and opt for ensembles that can be re-used, or have already been purchased second-hand.
Travel plans for guests have also been given environmental updates: all transportation being used with Boston is electric or hybrid and any ‘unavoidable’ flights that were taken have been ‘recorded and the CO2e impacts were calculated and balanced’.
Even William and Kate jetted into the US on a commercial British Airways flight – no doubt hoping to avoid the controversy that has plagued the Sussexes over their repeated use of private jets, despite the couple professing themselves to be environmentalists.
Then, upon their arrival at the event, guests will be treated to a host of ecologically-minded measures, from the plant-focused decor to the vegan and vegetarian-only catering options.
Instead of a red carpet for the stars to walk down, last year’s green carpet is being re-used – and it will be recycled afterwards.
The entryway and the event itself will feature over three acres of plants, including New England-grown evergreen and deciduous trees- ‘all native and grown locally,’ explained Earthshot’s new CEO Hannah Jones, formerly Nike’s first chief sustainability officer.
All the flowers are also grown locally within a 100 mile radius of the MGM Music Hall in Boston. Most are ‘root ball’ plants, wrapped in burlap, to stay as green as possible and will be donated to local community-based organization after the show.
BBC Studios, who are staging the event and won a BAFTA for last year’s show, have flown over just 10 members of staff out of a crew of 150, hiring local firms instead.
No gas lighting will be used with all fixtures being LED battery-operated and charged locally in Massachusetts.
The stars’ hotel is walking distance from the venue and everyone is being encouraged to either use the tram or take a fleet of electrically-powered and hybrid taxis.
Even the make-up being used is largely vegan and certified cruelty-free, while the food being served to stars and crew is plant-based – and there is a ban on single-used plastics.
Ms Jones said: ‘We are an environmental organization and will assiduously strive to think about our own environmental impact with everything we do.’
‘We are encouraging everyone that is coming to the awards to take the lowest carbon impact option possible. What isn’t will be offset.’
