Kate Middleton, Prince William’s guests turn down invites as race row erupts

Kate Middleton and Prince William started their US tour with an Earthshot Prize event in Boston on Wednesday, but the two main guests cancelled their attendance last minute as a royal race row erupts back at Buckingham Palace.

Secretary John Kerry, the presidential climate envoy, and Caroline Kennedy, the current US Ambassador to Australia, reportedly reached out to the Prince and Princess of Wales to confirm their absence just moments before they kicked off the event upon their arrival in Boston on Wednesday evening.

The Daily Mail reported that Kerry informed Prince William and Kate that he would ‘sadly no longer be able to attend’, but did not offer a reason for his decision to pull out. Meanwhile, Kennedy cited ‘disrupted travel plans’ due to harsh weather for not being able to make it.

The cancellations came just after Prince William’s godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, resigned from Buckingham Palace after being accused of making racist comments at a recent royal event hosted by Queen Consort Camilla.

Even as William and Kate arrived in the US, they were swift to offer an official statement condemning Lady Hussey’s comments, with a spokesperson saying: “This is a matter for Buckingham Palace but as the Prince of Wales' spokesperson, I appreciate you're all here and understand you'll want to ask about it. So let me address it head-on.”

“I was really disappointed to hear about the guests experience at Buckingham Palace last night. Obviously, I wasn't there, but racism has no place in our society. The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.”