Prince William & Kate set to meet Biden during US visit amid Buckingham Palace racism row

US President Joe Biden is set to meet UK’s Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday during his visit to Boston, as the royal pair arrive in the city for their first foreign trip after the demise of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince William and his wife Kate landed in Boston on Wednesday, leaving behind a racism row that has spiralled in the United Kingdom following the resignation of Prince of Wales’ godmother, Lady Susan Hussey. 

The royal couple, who last visited the United States in 2014, is set to be a part of an awards ceremony for the Earthshot Prize and a few social and environmental projects, according to the Independent. The duo will also be visiting Boston’s John F Kennedy Presidential Library. 

On Wednesday, the pair sat with Massachusetts governor-elect Maura Healey during the Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat NBA match. On Friday, they will be presenting awards at the ceremony of Earthshot Prize, which was founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2020.

While the pair has arrived in America after eight years, the visit has been overshadowed by the scandal brewing in the UK, where Lady Susan Hussey resigned as the royal aide due to the “unacceptable” remarks she made during a recent reception held at the Buckingham Palace. 

What is the racism row about?

The controversy began when the former royal aide questioned Ngozi Fulani, a Black woman who leads a charity for domestic abuse survivors, where she “really came from.” The remark has garnered strong backlash, and has also been rebuked by Prince William. “I was really disappointed to hear about the guests experience at Buckingham Palace last night. Obviously, I wasn't there, but racism has no place in our society,” the 40-year-old said.

"The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect,” he added, according to Express UK. 

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has said that it has taken cognizance of the incident that transpired at the Queen Consort’s reception on violence against women on Tuesday and is dealing with it “extremely seriously.” As the fallout over the remark ensues, Prince William and Kate have been urged to continue their visit and use it as an opportunity to project how they, as well as the other Royals, strongly stand against racism.