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UK royals in U.S. spotlight as William and Kate visit

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Prince William And Kate Middleton's Visit To America: Everything You Need To Know

Will a visit to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s home be on the cards?

The pair arrived on Thursday, November 30 and made their first public appearance at Boston Logan International Airport. The husband and wife coordinated in navy suits, with Middleton in a structured blazer, styled with a turtleneck neck, tapered trousers, a leather belt. suede pumps, and sapphire-and-diamond drop earrings. Prince William, meanwhile, wore his navy suit with a classic white button-down shirt and polka dot tie.

Shortly after touching down in the US - which marks their first overseas trip since the late Queen died, the Prince released a statement paying tribute to his late grandmother, who passed away on September 8, aged 96.

He said: 'Catherine and I are delighted to be back in the United States and are extremely grateful to Governor Baker and The First Lady of Massachusetts for their warm welcome into Boston.

'On this, our first overseas visit since the death of my grandmother, I would like to thank the people of Massachusetts and particularly of Boston for their many tributes paid to the late Queen. She remembered her 1976 bicentennial visit with great fondness.

'My grandmother was one of life's optimists. And so am I. That is why last year we launched the Earthshot Prize with the ambition to create a truly global platform to inspire hope and urgent optimism as we look to save the future of our planet.'

Prince William also showed his gratitude for being able to tour Boston during his and Middleton's three-day trip.

'To the people of Boston, thank you. I'm so grateful to you for allowing us to host the second year of the Earthshot prize in your great city. Catherine and I can't wait to meet many of you in the days ahead,' he said.

The Earthshot Prize Awards will recognise five innovators for their work in environmentalism.

Article originally published on 30/11/21: Prince William and Kate Middleton are finally heading to the US, almost two years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved Stateside.

The Duke of Cambridge announced the news in an interview with People in October, noting that his environmental initiative, The Earthshot Prize, will host its second ceremony in the US next year. The Cambridges celebrated the global prize for the environment last Sunday in London.

‘This is just the start,’ he told the publication following the celebrations. ‘I'm thrilled that in 2022, The Earthshot Prize will be heading to the United States, where we will continue to spread this vital message of urgency, optimism and action.

‘The urgency of the situation can't be overstated. But through The Earthshot Prize, I want to show people across the world why there is reason to be hopeful.’

The royal trip will mark the couple’s first in over seven years since their trip to New York in 2014.

It’s unknown at this stage whether the couple will take their three children – Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte – on the trip.

While many royal fans has wondered whether the couple would stay with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during the US visit, royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti recently told US Magazine that it's unlikely. 'It’s like so many of these things — it’s a sort of lose-lose situation,' Sacerdoti claimed. That said, Kensington Palace is yet to comment on the trip, and is yet to release details about the couple's itinerary, so we're not ruling a reunion out.

The news comes after Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie told Entertainment Tonight in September that the foursome's relationship hasn't improved much in recent months.

'The relationship between Harry and William is still very much one of distance,' Scobie said. 'I don't just mean physical [distance], across the Atlantic, but they are not talking that much, and that is exactly how sources close to William have put it.'

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to the US last year after they official stepped down as senior members of the royal family. The pair and their son Archie later settled in Montecito , before they welcomed their daughter Lilibet earlier this summer.

It’s believed no member of the royal family has been able to meet Lilibet – otherwise known as Lili – since her birth as a result of travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The last time Prince Harry visited the UK was in April this year following the death of his grandfather, Prince Philip .

Kate Middleton And Princess Diana's Style: Every Time The Duchess Of Cambridge Twinned With Lady Diana Spencer

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more. 

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Prince and Princess of Wales to Visit Boston as the Royal Family Recasts Itself

William and Catherine will announce the winners of awards for work on the environment. But their visit is weighted with additional significance.

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By Remy Tumin

On its face, the visit by William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, to Boston this week is typical of the British royal family’s philanthropic work.

The couple will present awards given out by the Earthshot Prize , an organization founded by William to help entrepreneurs with solutions to climate change and environmental issues.

But the visit is weighted with extra significance as William and Kate visit the United States for the first time in eight years, a time spanning a swell of change for the royal family as it tries to rebrand itself as a modern monarchy.

It will be the first visit by the royal couple to the United States since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September; the first time they touch U.S. soil since Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, left Britain for a more private life in California; the first time they are greeted by an American public that has a deeper understanding of royal life, thanks in part to Netflix’s “The Crown.”

“This is them trying to establish who they are in a more pared-down, streamlined monarchy,” said Arianne J. Chernock, a history professor at Boston University and a scholar of modern Britain. “This is a more updated, modernized family that they want to represent.”

Dr. Chernock said the Earthshot Prize, a cause that the royal family has embraced in recent years , is a way for the prince and princess to explore how they can align themselves with “core, weighty issues and maintain a sense of relevance, as well as a connection with their subjects and global population to justify their existence.”

“It’s a tall task,” she added.

To do that, the couple, who are to arrive on Wednesday, have largely limited the scope of their itinerary to climate issues and social change. Mayor Michelle Wu will meet William and Kate for a welcome event at City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. Caroline Kennedy, the ambassador to Australia and the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, will also greet them.

On Thursday, the couple will visit Greentown Labs, an incubator for start-ups tackling climate issues, and Roca, a nonprofit organization that works with young people in preventing incarceration. On Friday, the prince will visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and the princess will visit the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.

The main focus will be on the Earthshot Prize on Friday night. Five entrepreneurs will each receive 1 million pounds, or about $1.2 million, to continue their work in one of five categories: the restoration and protection of nature; air cleanliness; ocean revival; waste-free living; and climate action. The prize’s name is inspired by Kennedy’s “moonshot” initiative , which was announced in 1962 and put men on the moon for the first time in 1969. William announced the 15 finalists for the prize in early November.

“This is his Super Bowl moment of the year,” said Karen Pierce, the British ambassador to the United States, “and he uses it to shine the light on some of the most impactful projects that are doing amazing things around the world to help save the planet.”

Compared with a traditional royal tour, Ms. Pierce said, this visit is “much more focused on the work being done in climate change.” The prince and princess are “very natural people,” she said. “They want to meet ordinary people who are working hard for their communities.”

Ms. Pierce said the idea to announce the prize winners in Boston was twofold. This year is the 60th anniversary of Kennedy’s moonshot goal, and the event will also honor “the tremendous work” Boston has accomplished in battling climate change.

Boston’s historical connection to Britain is not lost on anyone, she added.

In fact, dating to the American Revolution, “Americans have never lost their fascination with the royal family,” Dr. Chernock said.

“You can see some of that royalism in America in the fact that we have created our own royalties and dynasties — whether it’s the Kennedys or the Bushes,” she said. “There is still this fascination with inheritance and family dynasty.”

That makes Boston, a cradle of the American Revolution and home to the Kennedys, “fertile ground for a royal visit,” she said. “It’s really the perfect city for them.”

William and Kate’s visit is the first major one to Boston by British royals in recent times. The one with the most fanfare occurred in 1976, when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited for the U.S. bicentennial . Among their stops was a service at the Old North Church in Boston.

The Rev. Dr. Matthew Cadwell, the current vicar of church, said that “there’s enthusiasm and excitement,” especially among congregants who still remember the queen’s visit.

William and Kate’s last trip abroad together was a turbulent tour of the Caribbean in March, one filled with gaffes, miscues and renewed calls for reparations for Britain’s role in the slave trade. Dr. Chernock said that trip had been “ill conceived” and that this trip would probably be much more carefully managed and calculated.

“It will be telling to see how they present themselves, the kinds of comments they make to the public — have they accepted or heard some of the criticisms?” Dr. Chernock said. The couple has been “quite good at being human,” she said, and at tackling difficult issues, like climate change and mental health, that “they do genuinely care about.”

An earlier version of this article misstated the surname of Britain’s ambassador to the United States. She is Karen Pierce, not Price. It also referred incorrectly to previous visits to Boston by members of the British royal family. While Queen Elizabeth II toured the city in 1976, that was not the last visit. Other members of the family have been there since.

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Remy Tumin is a reporter for The Times covering breaking news and other topics. More about Remy Tumin

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Royal troubles cast shadow over William and Kate’s US tour

Carefully scripted trip had to contend with racism row and sympathy for Meghan

The Prince and Princess of Wales returned to Britain on Saturday after a three-day US trip that combined messaging, friendship-politicking and symbolism accented with celebrity name-checks.

But the trip, as carefully scripted as any, may also have missed an opportunity to tackle immediate domestic issues. Eight years ago, William and Kate were greeted by adoring crowds . The crowds were out again this week “but this time around it’s more tempered and more complicated”, says Arianne Chernock, professor of history at Boston University, who has written widely on the role of the British royal family in America.

Those issues – a royal racism row triggered by William’s godmother, Lady Hussey at a Buckingham Palace reception on gender-based violence, and the drop of an ominous Netflix trailer previewing Harry and Meghan’s new reality docuseries, Harry and Meghan – on top of longstanding claims by the Sussexes of racial insensitivity within the palace walls – gave the visit a complex overlay for many Americans.

The New York Times called the Waleses’ visit “A Royal Visit, at a Careful Distance”, and two days later wrote: “Bostonians’ Take on the Royals’ Whirlwind Visit? Whatevah”. The Washington Post headlined the story: “Racism uproar at home threatens to eclipse royal visit to US”. On Saturday, the Boston Globe declared approvingly: “Royals, and Biden, and Beckham – Oh my!” The city, it said, “truly became the hub of the universe”.

The headlines reflected conflicting and often generationally divided interpretations of the royal brand in the US. Some of that could be ascribed to the Sussexes. At the time of the Waleses’ last visit, in 2014, Harry and Meghan hadn’t even met, Chernock notes. “Now we have a new couple who have created an element of surprise and volatility.”

The long history of British royals coming to America, from King George VI’s trip to see FDR in June 1939 – to shore up support as a war with Nazi Germany loomed – to Queen Elizabeth II on horseback with Ronald Reagan, and Princess Diana dancing with John Travolta is typically laden with diplomatic messaging.

Highlights of this trip included Caroline Kennedy, now US ambassador to Australia, acting as William’s guide – an endorsement in act and spirit from a complicated family closest to being considered US royalty – at the JFK library on Friday. Later, the Waleses arrived at an Earthshot environmental initiative award ceremony in an electric car, the princess in a $100 green dress and hand-me-down necklace. Earlier, President Biden had welcomed the couple, and shared, according to a spokesperson, “warm memories of Her Majesty”.

The complications of this visit, Chernock says, “are not what William and Kate are doing – it’s everything that’s happening around them that makes it harder to move through these pre-determined roles and schedules and requires a new degree of savvy and humility that perhaps the royal family is not accustomed to”.

Still, Chernock said, the couple “have been received with great enthusiasm because they have demonstrated just how serious they are about a number of issues that really resonate with multiple publics”.

While a spokesperson for the Prince of Wales stated that Hussey’s comments were unacceptable and that “racism has no place in our society”, the latest racially tinged blow-up called for the Waleses to address it directly, Chernock says.

“Obviously, William and Kate did not make the remarks but they can’t just brush it under the rug because it’s not a one-off. There’s a desire on the part of Americans for more candour, a more robust response – and to show willingness to lead on issues of racial justice that keep coming up.”

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But that could just as easily be turned into an opportunity for the couple to “demonstrate they are going to take a stronger stand on these issues and set a new tone”. Without the couple seeking to put down markers of a generational divide, they’d be “continuing a pattern where silence means something and that becomes equated with complicity”.

Despite the increasingly public spat between the Waleses and Sussexes, conducted(as their parents had done) through royal “sources” as well as the release of the Netflix trailer, the values that the two couples champion – environmental and racial justice – are closely intertwined. “William and Kate’s agenda doesn’t need to be at odds with Harry and Meghan’s. In fact they’re very much aligned,” says Chernock. But with the Sussexes staked out in California, they are “an additional dimension the Waleses need to be aware of, but not actively manage, when they come to America”.

The pride that many in the US felt that an American woman was marrying into the British royal family is now tinged with a sense of protectiveness that Meghan had been wronged. “That lends to a sense of wariness about others in the family,” Chernock said.

Still, she added, the resonances of last week’s visit were fascinating. “It’s unfortunate that the more the press forwards the narrative of a war, the more they’re doing a disservice to the royal family but also to the issues that are of global import.”

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Photos of British Royal Family's Visits to the U.S. Over the Years

Princess Di and John Travolta's meeting at the White House was iconic.

The royal family has been visiting the United States for over 80 years now, touching lives in states across the nation along the way. While official tours—and even impromptu visits—come with a range of important duties, they typically also allow for public-facing moments of downtime and celebrity-studded fun. From King George VI and the future Queen Mother's very first hot dog to Prince Charles's date with Tricia Nixon, these photos show just how many memories have been made in the United States. With Prince William visiting in New York City this week for the Earthshot Prize Summit, there's no better time to look back at the best royal visits to the U.S. throughout history.

King George VI and the future Queen Mother were the very first British royals to travel to the U.S. in 1939. Here, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the royals zip down the streets of New York on the way to the Commander-in-Chief's Top Cottage retreat.

Here, King George VI and the future Queen Mother stand on the Capitol steps with senators from around the country.

Then-Princess Elizabeth made her first trip to the U.S. in 1951, where she met with President Harry Truman. “Whenever anyone becomes acquainted with you,” he told her at the time, “they immediately fall in love.”

Queen Elizabeth returned six years later for her first state visit as monarch. She appeared to enjoy her first and only college football game in Maryland, where she famously asked , "Where do you get all those enormous players?"

The Queen and Prince Philip tour one of the ships at Jamestown Festival Park's pier during a stop in Virginia.

On a state visit in 1959, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip ride an electric car through the International Chicago Trade Fair.

Princess Margaret and her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones ride one of San Francisco's famous cable cars on their trip to sunny California in November 1965.

Margaret takes in the view from atop the city's iconic Coit Tower.

During a stop in Hollywood, the royals visit Alfred Hitchcock on set of his film Torn Curtain .

Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon take riding lessons at the Arizona ranch of former U.S. ambassador to Great Britain, Lewis Douglas.

The pair stop in Washington, D.C. toward the end of their trip to take in sights like the Lincoln Memorial.

During his first visit to the States as Prince of Wales, Prince Charles gets cozy with President Richard Nixon's daughter, Tricia, at a baseball game. “That was quite amusing, I must say,” he later told CNN of the trip. “That was the time when they were trying to marry me off to Tricia Nixon.”

Princess Anne joins her brother on the White House balcony, alongside President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon.

Queen Elizabeth dances with President Gerald Ford at a White House State Dinner during her 1976 East Coast visit.

Queen Elizabeth drops by Philadelphia’s famous Liberty Bell.

The monarch waves at onlookers as she passes the iconic Bloomingdale's flagship store in New York City.

Prince Charles returned to America in 1977, where he toured the McDonnell Douglas plant in St. Louis. Here, founder James S. McDonnell shows off a F-15 Eagle jet fighter.

The future king makes a stop in California, where he visits the set of M*A*S*H. The actors, including Alan Alda, share a laugh with the royal over an inflated surgical glove.

Prince Charles continues to mingle with Hollywood stars—like Farrah Fawcett and Lee Majors—at a banquet held in his honor at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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Royal Visit: Live Updates as Prince William, Kate Visit Boston

Prince william and kate middleton are in the u.s. to attend friday's earthshot prize awards ceremony, by marc fortier and danica kirka • published november 30, 2022 • updated on december 1, 2022 at 11:05 am.

The first overseas trip by the Prince and Princess of Wales since the death of Queen Elizabeth II began Wednesday, an occasion to show the world as much about who they are not as who they are.

With their three-day visit to Boston , focused on Prince William’s initiative to find the environmental entrepreneurs of a new generation , supplemented with trips to an anti-poverty program, child development researchers and local flood defenses, the couple hope to demonstrate that they aren’t the last remnants of a dying institution. Instead, Americans will see the younger face of a monarchy that is tackling important issues as it seeks to remain relevant in modern, multicultural Britain.

The visit comes less than three months after  the death of Elizabeth , whose personal popularity dampened criticism of the crown during her 70-year reign.

Follow along with our coverage of the big event in our live blog below:

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Prince William and Kate Middleton May Soon Be Coming to a City Near You

By Kathleen Walsh

While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain America’s most popular royals, Prince William and Kate Middleton are said to be planning a more extended stateside visit in a bid to win over some of the American public. According to royals editor Omid Scobie in Yahoo! News , sources say William and Kate intend to turn their December Boston trip into a United States royal tour. 

We already knew that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would be coming to the U.S. for their Earthshot Prize Ceremony, which will be held in Boston this year. But now it seems the couple is making plans for additional engagements, including a pricy fundraising event and a potential visit to Washington, D.C. 

William and Kate haven’t been to the U.S. in eight years, so it’s hardly shocking that they’re not quite as popular as Harry and Meghan, who actually live here. But according to Scobie’s source, “William is keen for his work to be seen and have impact outside of the U.K. and the royal bubble. The charitable landscape in America is huge and he wants to have a presence.”

It is maybe convenient for the prince that this news comes at the same time as a particularly salacious DeuxMoi blind item. The Instagram story seemed to hint that Prince William is having an affair that is an open secret among British aristocrats—and caused a…um… personal hashtag to trend on Twitter for a day. But hopefully nobody will remember that rumor in light of the news that William and Kate will be spending more time in America soon. Right? Right? 

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Royal Places to Visit in the U.S

Ever wondered what it would be like to live in a castle? Who hasn’t! With Disney+ tempting us to rewatch all the old classics and the royal families growing every day, we’re surrounded by princes and princesses. The romance, the grandeur, and of course, the palace, it all looks so ideal. Whether you grew up waiting for your long lost grandmother to show up and tell you that you’re a princess or just want a taste of the good life, we’ve rounded up the four best places to visit in the U.S. when you’re ready to feel like royalty! 

• Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

There is only one place in the United States that was truly built for royalty and that’s the Iolani Palace. The land where the palace stands has long been a place of worship and in 1845, King Kamehameha established the first residence here. Construction on the beautiful building that you see today was completed in 1882 and it served as the official residence for Hawaii’s Royal Family. 

Sadly, they were only able to enjoy life in the palace for a short time, as Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown in 1891. She would later be arrested and imprisoned in this very home. Following her loss of power, the palace served as the government capitol building until 1969. Since then, the palace has undergone renovations to be restored to its former glory, including extensive research to find the original furnishings and artifacts that were sold off when the government moved in.

Today, Iolani Palace operates as a museum, educating guests on Hawaii’s proud history and giving them a glimpse into what life was like for the last monarchs. Visitors can choose to take a guided tour or self-guided audio tour to see the first and second floors, as well as the Basement Galleries. If you really want a taste of the good life, try the Royal Legacy Tour for a true behind the scenes look at the palace.

Check out more of Hawaii’s historic sites and places to visit on our Honolulu Scavenger Hunt .

2. Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California

Located in Central California, directly between San Francisco and Los Angeles, this castle may be the most opulent on our list and is a great place to visit on a California road trip. Construction started in 1919 as a joint project between publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst and Julia Morgan, one of the first prominent female architects in the US. What started as camping land for the Hearst family was transformed into “La Cuesta Encantada” or “The Enchanted Hill,” a name that is by no means an exaggeration. 

Despite being under almost constant construction during Heart’s lifetime, he was still able to host many famous stars of the era. Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, and Greta Garbo are just a few of those known to be guests of Hearst at the castle. And just what could guests expect on a visit to the Enchanted Hill? After arriving at the private airport, there would be endless entertainment on the extensive grounds, which at one time included the largest private zoo in the world. Perhaps the highlights are the two pools; the outdoor Neptune Pool and indoor Roman Pool are visually striking and beautiful, they would fit in perfectly at an emperor’s palace.

In 1957, six years after Hearst’s death, the family donated much of the estate to the State of California and today a wide variety of tours are offered on the property. The Grand Rooms Tour is a great way to get a glimpse of what guests would have experienced on a visit to the castle. If you want to feel like royalty yourself, try one of the Evening Tours, in which staff and guests dress in 1930s attire to explore the castle at night. Other tours offer different focuses so you can choose to learn about the private life of Hearst and his family, his expansive and impressive art collection, or even the process of designing and constructing such a project. Whatever you are looking for, Hearst Castle has something to delight the royal in us all.

3. Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

Not just a house but an entire estate, The Biltmore is a popular tourist attraction near Asheville. Originally built by William Vanderbilt II, construction on this massive county home began in 1889 and would take six years to complete. It is the largest privately owned house in the United States with over four acres of floor space, 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces. Even many royals might want to visit this house to see how the truly affluent live!

Biltmore remained a private estate for many years until Vanderbilt’s daughter Cornelia and her husband John Cecil opened it to the public during the Great Depression. The house would be used for other purposes throughout the years, such as storing art during WWII and eventually a vineyard would be planted as well. In 2001, The Inn on Biltmore Estate would open so that the public could enjoy the same extravagant lifestyle enjoyed by royal families around the world.

The Biltmore is certainly a must see place in the US so if you’re one of the many people wishing to visit the Biltmore, be sure to plan for a full day, there are a variety of activities to enjoy! You can take a self-guided tour and see four different floors of the house, which may feel like a visit to the world’s fanciest museum. Vintage clothing, accessories, art from renowned painters, and furniture are all on display. You’ll want to check out the gardens as well, where there are over 20 miles of trails to explore! If you’re hoping to sleep like a princess too, there are plenty of options for overnight stays. Various displays and exhibitions throughout the year make this a place you’ll want to visit over and over again.

The Biltmore isn’t the only place to visit in Asheville, learn about more on our scavenger hunt!

4. Hammond Castle in Gloucester, Massachusetts 

While most of the spots on our list may appear more like palaces or mansions, Hammond Castle will have you feeling like you’re back in medieval times! Built almost a century ago by scientist and inventor John Hays Hammond Jr., it served as his home and laboratory. Don’t expect lots of high-tech amenities however; Hammond wanted his home to feel like the medieval buildings he saw in Europe so most of the modern twists aren’t easy to spot. There’s no doubt this is a unique place to visit in America, it’s perfect for those wishing to visit a true European castle without buying the plane ticket!

In addition to being a great scientist, Hammond was an art connoisseur who amassed an impressive collection not just of art but also of Classical antiquities and artifacts from the Roman, Renaissance, and of course Medieval era. The castle was constructed to display these as one might have seen them many centuries ago and includes other period features such as a drawbridge, courtyard and Great Hall with one of the largest pipe organs in the US.

After Hammond and his wife died with no heirs the castle was turned into a museum that gives visitors a taste of life for European royals of old. Visitors can choose from a guided or self-guided tour most months, or in July and August, take a candlelit tour that pays homage to Hammond’s love of the evening and nighttime; he even preferred to sleep during the day and work through the night. October also brings about a haunted house every year! If the castle looks familiar, that’s most likely due to its popularity as a filming location for shows and movies.

For more of the best places to visit in the USA, check out one of our scavenger hunts in 400+ cities .

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Prince Charles, duchess to begin U.S. tour

Prince Charles, his wife and a wardrobe full of dresses jet off to the United States Tuesday on a tour designed to celebrate trans-Atlantic ties, promote Charles’ environmentalist causes — and test reaction to his new bride in a nation still smitten with the late Princess Diana.

“This is Diana country,” said Lisa Stewart, a member of a band of devotees called the Diana Circle U.S. “We love Diana still.”

The 56-year-old heir to the throne and Camilla, duchess of Cornwall, will visit New York, Washington, New Orleans and San Francisco during the one-week tour, their first official overseas jaunt since marrying in April.

The royal couple will unveil a memorial to victims of the Sept. 11 attacks in Manhattan, dine at the White House with President Bush and his wife, Laura, and meet aid workers and residents on a flying visit to hurricane-hit New Orleans.

Visits to farms, markets, schools and museums will give Charles a chance to highlight issues close to his heart — organic food production, the environment, education and classical architecture.

Memories of ‘Diana territory’ Aides hope the prince’s first official tour of the United States since 1994 won’t be eclipsed by memories of a visit in 1985 — when a radiant Diana danced with John Travolta at a White House dinner.

“For a long time the (British) media has regarded the States as Diana territory,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine. “But there’s nothing to suggest Camilla won’t get a warm welcome.”

The prince’s office says the trip is intended to recognize “the importance of the relationship between the two countries and their common bonds and shared traditions.”

It is also part of a careful palace plan to win acceptance for the duchess, long reviled in the British press — and among Diana-philes — as the woman who broke up the royal romance. “There were three of us in that marriage,” Diana told a television reporter in 1995.

Charles and Diana divorced in 1996; Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris the following year.

Attitudes changing Since then, a careful series of joint milestones has helped soften public attitudes toward the prince and Camilla, whose relationship began more than 30 years ago, before either was married.

The couple’s first public appearance together was in 1999; the first public kiss in 2001. In April they married in a civil ceremony. A poll at the time suggested almost two-thirds of Britons supported the marriage.

In deference to Diana, Camilla did not take the title princess of Wales, and she has made it clear she wishes to be known as princess consort, not queen, when Charles takes the throne — although experts say she will, officially, be queen.

The 58-year-old duchess has discarded a sometimes frumpy country style for designer dresses and extravagant hats since stepping into the limelight.

Questions on wardrobe, entourage British newspaper reports said that she was taking 50 dresses on the tour and that 40 staff members would accompany the couple. But Charles’ office said the true size of the entourage was 16, and stressed the duchess’ clothes were paid for from his private income. Officials would not say how many dresses Camilla was taking.

The tour begins Tuesday with a visit to the World Trade Center site in New York, where the couple will dedicate a memorial garden to British victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. There is also a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and a reception.

In Washington, the couple will have lunch and dinner with the Bushes at the White House.

Charles’ office would not say whether the prince planned to raise the issue of climate change, which he recently called “the greatest challenge to face man.” Bush’s refusal to sign the Kyoto accord on greenhouse gas emissions has angered many environmentalists.

King Charles opens Balmoral Castle to the public for the first time amid cancer battle

King Charles III is making a royal move that's never done before: opening the doors to Balmoral Castle .

For the first time since the Aberdeenshire, Scotland, castle was completed in 1855, guests will be granted behind-the-scenes access to the landmark. Queen Elizabeth II , the United Kingdom's longest reigning monarch, died at the private estate at the age of 96 in September 2022; the residence was where the queen and her family would spend summer holidays.

Tickets for the historic event – with tours scheduled between June 1 and Aug. 4 – sold out this week within a day of being released, according to the BBC .

According to its official website , Balmore is the Scottish castle that serves as a beloved home for the royal family, which was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852.

Historic opening of royal residences to the public comes amid royals' health battles

The monarch's unprecedented decision to open up royal residences comes amid changes within the monarchy.

The East Wing of Buckingham Palace is set to open to the public for the first time this summer, like Balmoral Castle. Guided tours of the palace's principal floor are scheduled from July through August, per the BBC .

The guided tours also come as seniors members of the royal family are battling health issues . After Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was notably out of the public eye for several months, Kensington Palace  shared a video  of Princess Kate in which she revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer .

"In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful; however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present," Princess Kate said. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

The princess said she was "well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits."

Looking back at the last century: A timeline of the royal family's biggest moments

Prior to this revelation, in early February, Buckingham Palace announced King Charles III's cancer diagnosis .

"During The King's recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have  identified a form of cancer ,"  Buckingham Palace said  in a Feb. 5 statement.

Before his diagnosis was revealed, Charles underwent a "corrective procedure" at The London Clinic after the palace had previously announced that the monarch, 75, was seeking treatment for an enlarged prostate.

Contributing: Pamela Avila

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