Prince William plans first US visit in 8 years with Kate Middleton for global environmental awards ceremony

The Prince and Princess of Wales are traveling to Boston, Massachusetts, as part of the second annual Earthshot Prize Awards.

William and Kate will mark their first visit to the United States in eight years by joining alongside "activists, innovators, policymakers and performers to celebrate the 2022 cohort of fifteen global Finalists before the five Winners are awarded" at a ceremony on Dec. 2, according to a release from Kensington Palace.

"The Prince and Princess are looking forward to spending time in Boston, and to learning more about the issues that are affecting local people, as well as to celebrating the incredible climate solutions that will be spotlighted through The Earthshot Prize."

Speculation continues to grow that a "Fab Four" reunion could potentially be in the works. Days after the ceremony, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are scheduled to receive the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) organization's Ripple of Hope Award Gala in New York.

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A spokesperson for the organization told Fox News Digital that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed their attendance at the gala on Dec. 6.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's trip to the states begins Wednesday, Nov. 30 and concludes Dec. 2.

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"Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’, The Earthshot Prize is an ambitious global environmental prize which aims to discover, celebrate and scale the best solutions to help repair our planet."

In 2021, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation announced that it had partnered with the Earthshot Prize. The inaugural Earthshot Prize award ceremony was held in London on Oct. 17, 2021. Emma Thompson, Emma Watson and David Oyelowo joined Kate in presenting the awards.

Their Royal Highnesses will "get to know" the city of Boston by meeting the mayor, Michelle Wu, at a special event. Prince William is also scheduled to visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum with Ambassador Caroline Kennedy.

"Recognising the significant challenges that the coastal city of Boston faces as a result of climate change, The Prince and Princess will see for themselves the work that local organisations are doing to mitigate the risk of rising sea levels," the release stated.

Prince William and Kate will spend time learning about innovative technologies at the Greentown Labs, and also hear from those affected by climate-related challenges in the Boston area during a visit to Roca, a nonprofit "working for nearly 35 years to bring public systems together in a cohesive approach to save and change the trajectory of the lives of high-risk young people."

The Princess of Wales will also visit the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University as part of a long-standing relationship between The Royal Foundation and The Centre for Early Childhood.

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RFKHR announced in March that Harry and Meghan have been named this year's Ripple of Hope Award laureates along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Siris Capital co-founder Frank Baker and Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan.

The Sussexes were chosen to receive the prestigious award in "recognition of their work on racial justice, mental health, and other social impact initiatives through their Archewell Foundation," per a press release from the organization.

"When The Duke and Duchess accepted our award laureate invitation back in March, we were thrilled. The couple has always stood out for their willingness to speak up and change the narrative on racial justice and mental health around the world," Kerry Kennedy, president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and Robert F. Kennedy's daughter, said in a statement.

She continued, "They embody the type of moral courage that my father once called the 'one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change.'"

RFKHR is a nonprofit human rights advocacy organization that was named after the late U.S. senator after he was assassinated in 1968. 

Prince Harry and Meghan departed from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States due to what they described as the British media's intrusion and racist demeanor toward their family.

They’ve rarely returned to the United Kingdom, but attended the queen's funeral in September. Prior to Her Majesty's death, the couple appeared at the queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, when they were present for one royal obligation during the five-day event before celebrating daughter Lilibet’s first birthday at Frogmore Cottage.

Despite a rumored feud between the couples, William, Kate, Harry and Meghan made a surprise joint appearance together while on a walkabout to view floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II following her death.

On Sept. 19, they attended Queen Elizabeth's funeral service where William and Harry walked side by side behind their grandmother's coffin as it was moved from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey.

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Fox News Digital's Ashley Hume contributed to this report.