The Princess of Wales waved at fans as she arrived at a children’s center at Harvard University on Friday morning.
Royal superfans have travelled from as far as Florida and Kentucky to catch a glimpse of Kate Middleton as she visited the center in Massachusetts.
But Kate kept the crowd interaction to a minimum as she arrived at Harvard University- triggering dry laughter and even groans among the crowd who’d hoped she might greet them.
She is travelling without William for this part of the Boston trip. The Prince is due at the JFK Presidential Library this afternoon for a solo tour, where he’ll learn about JFK’s Moonshot project, which inspired the Earthshot prize.
The Princess pulled up in an eco-friendly Range Rover and waved only briefly before disappearing into the building.
She wore an elegant houndstooth ensemble as she greeted officials at Harvard University.
Hundreds of people were gathered at security gates hoping for a close-up view of the Princess of Wales – or even a meet and greet. Many laughed as she quickly went inside the building, and some even groaned because of the short-lived glimpse.
Victoria George, 32, from Boston, wanted to see Kate with her daughters, two-year-old Madeleine and three-month-old Savannah – so she could tell them they’d been in the presence of a future queen.
She said: ‘I’m a huge royal fan, I went to Boston City Hall on Wednesday and I wanted my daughters to get a chance to meet her.’
Victoria, who studied British History and wrote a thesis about royal weddings through history, added: ‘When my daughters find out that the future Queen of England was in town, I want them to have been there.’
The Princess of Wales arrived at the children’s center this morning, as she was greeted by adoring fans who flocked to catch a glimpse of the elegant royal
But Kate kept the crowd interaction to a minimum as she arrived at Harvard University- triggering dry laughter and even groans among the crowd who’d hoped she might greet them
Princess of Wales visits to The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
She visited the center as part of her ongoing work to elevate the importance of the early years to lifelong outcomes
Regal: Princess of Wales looked elegant in a houndstooth ensemble at Harvard University
The Princess was welcomed to the center in Massachusetts this morning
Victoria Thomas, 6, Turhan Mohabeer, 74, Lester Thomas , 44, Tamara Thomas , 46, wait for The Princess of Wales to visit The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, Cambridge
Among the fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the Princess was Tamara Thomas – who made the journey with her family from Florida to celebrate her 46th birthday, which falls today.
She loves the royals so much that she named her daughter, who is six, after Queen Victoria.
Tamara, who was joined by Victoria and her husband, Lester Thomas, said: ‘We heard William and Kate were going to be here so we have been planning this trip for a while.
‘I have always loved them and I love their passion for early years with Catherine – and the environment and climate change with William.
‘They are exceptional role models for the younger generation. We took my daughter out of school so she could see them.’
Tamara said that her family also plan to travel to the Earthshot awards tonight for another glimpse of the couple.’
A group of teachers from Benton, Kentucky, said they flew into Boston last night to support Kate as she visits the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.
Teachers from Kentucky Angela Morris, Erin Mathis, LaDonna Ward, Tessa Powell, wait for The Princess of Wales
Crowds of people gathered in anticipation to see the Prince and Princess of Wales
Americans have flocked to wait and see the British royals arrive in Massachusetts
The group – Ladonna Ward, Tessa Powell, Angela Morris and Erin Mathis – brought signs which said ‘HRH’ and ‘Kentucky Teachers’.
Ladonna said she’s always been fond of the royals, but Kate is particularly special because of her work with young children.
Tessa added: ‘Early childhood education creates foundations that are essential as a child grows and if they miss that opportunity, often they start out behind.
‘I really respect the work Kate has been doing on children and families.’
Angela said: ‘This is probably the closest we will ever be. Even just a glimpse would be a dream.’
The women, who teach in a mix of elementary and high schools, joked that they had to make the journey because royals will like ‘never’ visit their remote hometown.
Keen royal fans – of all ages – waited to get a glimpse of the Princess
Swathes of people gathered outside Harvard University this morning ahead of the Princess of Wales’ visit
Prince William and Kate were brought back together with the African-American Reverend (right) who lectured about the ‘legacy of colonialism’ at their Earthshot launch on Wednesday
The couple pulled off an outfit change in between their second and third engagements of the day, arriving at Boston Harbor Defenses at around 3PM ET having spent the morning visiting two different suburbs
The couple arrived at Boston Harbor Defenses on Thursday afternoon, where they met up with Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, who gave a speech at the Earthshot launch in which she urged people to ‘consider the legacy of colonialism’
Just yesterday Prince William and Kate Middleton’s US tour engagement saw them brought back together with the African-American Reverend who gave a lecture about the ‘legacy of colonialism’ at their Earthshot launch on Wednesday – just hours after Buckingham Palace was dragged into an ugly race row.
The Prince and Princess of Wales came together with Reverend Mariama White-Hammond for their third official engagement on Thursday, which saw them visiting Boston Harbor Defenses despite the biting cold to learn about the impact of rising sea levels on the city’s shoreline.
William and Kate were smiling as they arrived at the harbor – having taken a two-hour break in between events, which may well have given them a chance to discuss some of the controversies that have overshadowed their US trip, from the Buckingham Palace race row sparked by the Prince’s godmother to the release of an explosive trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix documentary.
Such were the biting temperatures that the Prince of Wales apologized for keeping his hands buried deep in his jacket pockets.