UK royals in US spotlight as William and Kate visit

Prince William and his wife Kate fly out to the United States today for their first visit for eight years, as an intense media spotlight on the British royal family and the sons of King Charles shifts across the Atlantic.

The US trip will be the new Prince and Princess of Wales’ first overseas excursion since the death of Queen

Elizabeth, which meant William – Charles’ eldest son – became the heir to the throne.

The visit has gained added significance as it comes a few days before William’s Los Angeles-based younger brother Prince Harry and American wife Meghan take the limelight at a prestigious awards ceremony ahead of a Netflix TV documentary and memoir.

For royal commentators and many in the British press, it will be a chance to contrast the popularity and lives of the two brothers, whose falling out, along with Harry and Meghan’s criticism of the monarchy, has become one of the defining stories of the House of Windsor in recent years.

“The royal family are a competitive bunch, they always have been and always will be,” royal biographer Andrew Morton said.

“Prince William is the future king, Prince Harry no longer has a royal role. But nonetheless, they will be looking at the optics to see who had the biggest crowds, who had the most column inches and if they tell you otherwise, don’t believe them.”

The royals will visit Boston, primarily to attend an awards ceremony for the Earthshot environmental prize which the prince set up.

The last time they visited the US in November 2014, they were guests of then-president Barack Obama at the White House.