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Why Prince William and Kate Were Booed on Their U.S. Tour

Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived in the U.S. for the first time in eight years Wednesday. But their trip has already been overshadowed by fresh accusations of racist conduct by the royal institution and scenes of NBA fans booing the couple and chanting “USA, USA” as they sat court-side at a Celtics vs Miami Heat game in Boston.

William and Kate arrived in the city for a three-day visit ahead of the Earthshot Prize, the prince’s environmental awards ceremony taking place Friday. It is also their first overseas trip since Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September, which granted them their new titles as Prince and Princess of Wales, after King Charles III assumed the throne.

It’s not the first royal trip that has garnered controversy for Prince William and Kate. In March, they made headlines when their tour of former British colonies in the Caribbean sparked republican demonstrations. The couple was forced to cancel the first stop in Belize due to protests, and were met by demonstrations in Jamaica and the Bahamas—with many demanding reparations and apologies from the crown. All three nations have since announced plans to re-evaluate their place in the Commonwealth.

Below, what to know about William and Kate’s royal trip to Boston, and why racism allegations back home may cast a shadow over the success of their trip.

The basketball snub occurred just hours after the royal family’s latest controversy unfolded on home soil; Lady Susan Hussey, William’s 83-year-old godmother and a long-standing lady of the household, resigned from her royal duties amid allegations of racist conduct that saw her repeatedly ask Ngozi Fulani, a Black British charity worker, “where she really came from” during an event on Tuesday.

The event led by Camilla, the Queen Consort, saw around 300 guests invited to Buckingham Palace to support her campaign against domestic violence. Fulani, an attendee, heads up Sistah Space, the U.K.’s only domestic abuse charity specifically for women and girls of African and Caribbean heritage.

According to the BBC, Fulani recounted the full conversation she had with Hussey, including repeated attempts to know where she was “really” from despite the charity worker reminding her that she is British. In a subsequent interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Fulani described the exchange as a “violation” and an “interrogation.”

“I have to really question how this can happen in a space that’s supposed to protect women against all kinds of violence,” Fulani told the radio hosts.

In a statement forwarded to TIME, a Kensington Palace spokesperson yesterday said they are “really disappointed” to hear about Fulani’s experience. They added that “racism has no place in our society” and that it was right for Hussey to resign over her “unacceptable” comments.

The basketball snub occurred just hours after the royal family’s latest controversy unfolded on home soil; Lady Susan Hussey, William’s 83-year-old godmother and a long-standing lady of the household, resigned from her royal duties amid allegations of racist conduct that saw her repeatedly ask Ngozi Fulani, a Black British charity worker, “where she really came from” during an event on Tuesday.

The event led by Camilla, the Queen Consort, saw around 300 guests invited to Buckingham Palace to support her campaign against domestic violence. Fulani, an attendee, heads up Sistah Space, the U.K.’s only domestic abuse charity specifically for women and girls of African and Caribbean heritage.

According to the BBC, Fulani recounted the full conversation she had with Hussey, including repeated attempts to know where she was “really” from despite the charity worker reminding her that she is British. In a subsequent interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Fulani described the exchange as a “violation” and an “interrogation.”

“I have to really question how this can happen in a space that’s supposed to protect women against all kinds of violence,” Fulani told the radio hosts.

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by Anonymousreply 51December 3, 2022 1:40 AM

In a statement forwarded to TIME, a Kensington Palace spokesperson yesterday said they are “really disappointed” to hear about Fulani’s experience. They added that “racism has no place in our society” and that it was right for Hussey to resign over her “unacceptable” comments.

Amid the controversy, William remained focused on the Earthshot Prize—his primary reason for being in the U.S. He and Kate joined the mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, and U.S. ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, at an event ahead of the awards. William told attendees, “We are both looking forward to spending the next few days learning about the innovative ways the people of Massachusetts are tackling climate change.”

Since its inception in October 2022, Earthshot has offered £1 million ($1.2 million) in prize money across five environmental categories: nature protection, clean air, ocean revival, waste elimination, and climate change. Winners—who will be announced at Boston’s MGM Music Hall on Friday—and all 15 finalists will also receive help to expand their green projects.

In a briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also confirmed that William and Kate will meet with President Joe Biden during their trip but added that they are still “finalizing and working through the details.”

The trip marks a return to the U.S. for William and Kate, who last visited the country during a three-day trip to New York City in 2014. Prior to this, they made their American debut as a married couple during a 2011 trip to California.

The royal family have been embroiled in a number of recent racism scandals, including a 2021 exposé that showed the Queen’s courtiers banned “coloured immigrants or foreigners” from serving in clerical roles in the royal household until at least the late 1960s.

The royal family is also still recovering from the reputational fallout of Harry and Meghan’s resignation as working royals in March 2020, followed by a two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. The couple notably told Winfrey the royal family had “concerns and conversations” over the skin color of their son Archie before he was born in 2019. This prompted comments from Prince William to Sky News that they are “very much not a racist family.”

On Tuesday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are also due to attend the Robert F Kennedy Ripple of Hope awards, where they will be honored for their work on social change.

by Anonymousreply 1December 2, 2022 12:18 AM

BOOOOOO!!!!!!

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by Anonymousreply 2December 2, 2022 12:19 AM

[quote]On Tuesday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are also due to attend the Robert F Kennedy Ripple of Hope awards, where they will be honored for their work on social change.

Cool.

by Anonymousreply 3December 2, 2022 12:21 AM

Haha!

by Anonymousreply 4December 2, 2022 2:44 AM

He looks fucking confused in that photo. Duh, what's a basketball.

by Anonymousreply 5December 2, 2022 2:46 AM

Why do these idiots keep touring the former colonies?

Their own country people are tired of their shit. Why do they think the rest of us who got rid of them are going to suck up to them?

Nobody wants to see these racist asshole pedophile protectors.

by Anonymousreply 6December 2, 2022 2:47 AM

[quote] Nobody wants to see

Well, don't watch Mr Nobody.

by Anonymousreply 7December 2, 2022 2:48 AM

Ooh, a suck up royalist got TRIGGERED, BABY!

by Anonymousreply 8December 2, 2022 2:57 AM

Did they travel as the prince and Princess of Wales?

by Anonymousreply 9December 2, 2022 3:19 AM

^ they are called that in this article.

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by Anonymousreply 10December 2, 2022 2:43 PM

Bostonians are very racist themselves. Pots and kettles.

by Anonymousreply 11December 2, 2022 3:28 PM

[quote]Ooh, a suck up royalist got TRIGGERED, BABY!

Oh, the irony.

by Anonymousreply 12December 2, 2022 3:32 PM

Kate be like...

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by Anonymousreply 13December 2, 2022 4:03 PM

I like the pony tail he has in op's pic.

by Anonymousreply 14December 2, 2022 4:05 PM

^ You mean the Royal Mullet, business in front, party in the back?

by Anonymousreply 15December 2, 2022 4:24 PM

This thread should have been a “Caption This” thread.

Kate to William: “The tall, sweaty colored men chase it around the pitch, Wills.”

by Anonymousreply 16December 2, 2022 5:18 PM

^ "And then they get to go home with a Kardashian "

by Anonymousreply 17December 2, 2022 6:07 PM

Boston has lots of Irish and a strong Revolutionary background.

Not the most pro-monarchy place…

by Anonymousreply 18December 2, 2022 6:13 PM

[quote]He looks fucking confused in that photo. Duh, what's a basketball.

Basketball isn't a thing outside the US. It's a foreign sport to the rest of the world.

by Anonymousreply 19December 2, 2022 6:16 PM

^ I don't know, they seemed fine at the Tea Party 😏

by Anonymousreply 20December 2, 2022 6:16 PM

OP booing is a time honored tradition at all major sporting events across the world, save the Olympics/Paralympics/Special Olympics. Celebrities get booed, politicians get booed, famous people get booed, opposing teams get booed, players get booed. The reasons and passions behind it vary but it is a truism.

No one should care very much, otherwise don’t enter the venue.

by Anonymousreply 21December 2, 2022 6:34 PM

R21?

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

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by Anonymousreply 22December 2, 2022 6:35 PM

Tell that to the media, r21. They treated it as a novel event.

by Anonymousreply 23December 2, 2022 7:15 PM

Never heard of BB being in England? Anyone know?

by Anonymousreply 24December 2, 2022 7:24 PM

Anyone know what? BB? Bareback? What about it? Can you try using complete sentences and spell things out, please?

by Anonymousreply 25December 2, 2022 8:12 PM

I want my drag name to be Lady Susan Hussey.

by Anonymousreply 26December 2, 2022 8:22 PM

The Times’ article is trying to tie in the controversy back home. There is 0% chance they were booed because of that or anything to do with racism allegations. No way people attending the game follow the Royals.

by Anonymousreply 27December 2, 2022 8:28 PM

BB = basketball? baseball?

by Anonymousreply 28December 2, 2022 8:28 PM

[quote]No way people attending the game follow the Royals.

The royals are widely covered in the media and their latest gaffe made headlines all across the world. You don't need to "follow" the royals to know about their latest controversies.

by Anonymousreply 29December 2, 2022 8:33 PM

R29 very few people in the US follow or care though yes, it may be covered by international press. Viewers here are more likely to scoff, laugh or turn the channel as soon as they say “Lady Whittington-Nutley said…” end of concern. No one would boo them for that. It’s absurd.

by Anonymousreply 30December 2, 2022 8:39 PM

But people did boo them. Why are you arguing otherwise?

Americans don't support monarchies and don't appreciate their lives disrupted by foreign visitors using their localities as photo ops for PR purposes. It's not some grand conspiracy. Not everyone loves the British royals. In Boston, which is heavily Irish-American, in a deep blue state, and the scene of an iconic protest and near many battles of the Revolutionary War, this is hardly unusual or confounding. Get over it.

by Anonymousreply 31December 2, 2022 8:44 PM

r31 The feeling in Boston was very positive. Of course you'll always have some cranks booing and that kind of thing, but most people were glad to see William and Kate.

by Anonymousreply 32December 2, 2022 8:46 PM

It's fun to boo any grand hoity toity people. Nothing personal. We just hate you.

by Anonymousreply 33December 2, 2022 8:51 PM

Nope, R29. The Celtics’ coach even said he didn’t know who they were, nor did he care. They are widely covered by the likes of DM, but not really serious new agencies. It’s doubtful most of those fans were checking for the Royals. I know tons of people who know nothing about them except the really big stuff. They were booed because they are British Royals, most likely for shits and giggles.

by Anonymousreply 34December 2, 2022 8:51 PM

[quote]The feeling in Boston was very positive.

Lol, sure, Jan.

by Anonymousreply 35December 2, 2022 9:31 PM

r34/r35 you're quite a bitter thing. The feeling in Boston was positive. Of course people know who Will and Kate are.

by Anonymousreply 36December 2, 2022 11:27 PM

R36 forgive me for saying, but you seem to have your head well up your arse.

99% of Boston (and that number’s certainly an understatement) doesn’t give two shits, other than generally showing routine courtesy to any well mannered out-of-towners.

Will and Kate seem like normal humans. No more no less.

by Anonymousreply 37December 2, 2022 11:36 PM

r37 according to friends of mine in Boston, people were certainly not ambivalent. They thought it was nice William and Kate visited, nothing less and nothing more. The Celtics coach is a nutcase devout Catholic, nobody should listen to what he thinks. I suspect you have no familiarity with Boston and have never been there, since you're clearly from the UK with the "arse" spelling.

by Anonymousreply 38December 2, 2022 11:41 PM

R38 I went to college in Boston and was just there for work. The spelling was for your benefit since the only explanation for your silliness is that you’re a Briton.

by Anonymousreply 39December 2, 2022 11:54 PM

R36, nobody is even saying anything negative about them, so I don’t get the defensiveness because some of us think most of the public is ambivalent. Doesn’t matter what the coach is, he didn’t know who they were and they were booed. Do you really think men ages 18-55 give a shit about the Royals? They have their fans, but let’s not get it twisted, most are indifferent.

by Anonymousreply 40December 2, 2022 11:59 PM

^ You're dealing with crazy, menopausal nut jobs here 🙄

by Anonymousreply 41December 3, 2022 12:04 AM

According to my friends in Boston, most people thought it was nice William and Kate visited. Not too much ambivalence.

by Anonymousreply 42December 3, 2022 12:14 AM

R38, the poster is definitely a brit. According to her friends in Boston... every single Bostonian knows who W&K are and thrilled to have them. They were booed because they are universally loved and respected.

by Anonymousreply 43December 3, 2022 12:27 AM

Once Kate found the bar, she was fine...

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by Anonymousreply 44December 3, 2022 12:29 AM

r43 I was born and raised in CT and live in CT and NYC. I'm of English, French and German heritage.

by Anonymousreply 45December 3, 2022 12:31 AM

Would everyone please stop starting all these stupid royal family threads? There's already enough

by Anonymousreply 46December 3, 2022 12:32 AM

R46?

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

by Anonymousreply 47December 3, 2022 12:43 AM

Why aren't there any videos?

by Anonymousreply 48December 3, 2022 12:47 AM

Unforced error of their trip planners. NBA fans are not their crowd. Though I'm not really sure if they have a crowd.

by Anonymousreply 49December 3, 2022 1:05 AM

R49, not sure if they have a crowd either, but I agree. I think it would’ve been better for them to have gone to a hockey game, but I assume the Bruins were out of town. The Thursday night Patriots game would have also been better. Both are set away from the action, so they’re not right on the floor within camera shot at all times. They could’ve sat in the owner’s suite at the football game. Maybe the fans would be a little less urban and bit more suburban too. Though, it’s probably all similar with the fans.

Post at R43 was meant for R39.

by Anonymousreply 50December 3, 2022 1:15 AM

She looks amazing, but it’s a green screen that’s going to meme’d in unfortunate ways.

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by Anonymousreply 51December 3, 2022 1:40 AM
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