William and Kate visit startup in Somerville, non-profit in Chelsea on 2nd day of Mass. trip

SOMERVILLE, Mass. — The royals woke up in Boston Thursday with a packed schedule that included stops in Somerville and Chelsea. Their trip to the Bay State all about the environment—and at Greentown Labs, in Somerville, the Prince and Princess of Wales learned about climate innovations.

Less than 24 hours earlier, they received a warm welcome at their first event upon arriving in Boston, despite the rainy and windy weather.

“Thank you to all the hearty Bostonians for braving the rain this evening,” Prince William said to the crowd at City Hall Plaza Wednesday night.

Prince William and Princess Kate, along with Governor-elect Maura Healey and Mayor Michelle Wu lit up city hall in green to honor the royals trip and highlight the city’s efforts to protect the environment. Prince William said they chose to come to Boston for two reasons—the first, it being the hometown for John F. Kennedy. They say what Boston is doing to combat climate change is the same to what JFK did for the space race.

“Boston was also the obvious choice because your universities, research centers and vibrant start up scene make you a global leader in science, innovation and boundless ambition,” said Prince William.

At 10:30 Thursday morning, the Prince and Princess got a tour of Greentown Labs, where climate pioneers have been working to design and implement a more sustainable world since 2011.

On their way out of Greentown Labs, William and Kate stopped to greet a crowd of fans outside, including a boy named Henry who was dressed as a Royal guard.

At noon, the couple went to the non-profit organization Roca, Spanish for rock. The center, which is based in Chelsea, works with young people and police to combat incarceration, poverty, and racism.

The organization aligns with some of the royal couple’s interests around mental health. The founder was elated when she found out the couple would be stopping by.

“Obviously them coming here sort of elevates our presence in a way probably that no one else in the world can so that is enormous,” said Molly Baldwin, the founder of Roca. “I’m hopeful they will like some of our things and want to share them.”

Thursday’s agenda also included a visit to the Boston waterfront, which is threatened by rising sea levels.

On Wednesday, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito greeted the couple at Boston Logan International Airport before they headed to City Hall to meet with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Attorney General and Gov.-Elect Maura Healey.

Following their stop at City Hall Plaza, the Royals sat courtside at the Boston Celtics game Wednesday night at the TD Garden.

But throughout the trip, William’s eye will be on the Earthshot Prize, which is aimed at finding solutions to climate change and other environmental problems by the end of the decade.

Earthshot offers 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) in prize money to the winners of five separate categories: nature protection, clean air, ocean revival, waste elimination and climate change.

The winners are set to be announced Friday at Boston’s MGM Music Hall.

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