After arriving in the Big Apple on Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge became the buzz on the streets of New York. Monday, they received the royal treatment of meeting “Queen Bey”, Beyoncé Knowles, and her husband Jay-Z at a Brooklyn Nets basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The royal couple was also allowed to meet Lebron “King” James. During this visit to New York, they were able to witness the protesters on the street for Eric Garner. Although this trip to NYC was their first, Prince William’s was still involved in his duties. The Duke met with President Barack Obama in the White House which displayed the close relationship the USA has with the UK. The men sat down to discuss the need of international help to prevent illegal wildlife trading.

“Our collective goal must be to reduce the wildlife trade by making it harder: denying traffickers access to transportation, putting up barriers to their illegal activities and holding people accountable for their actions,” William said in a session at the World Bank. Later that night, the couple attended a reception in recognition for the work of the Tusk Trust and United Wildlife organizations.

While the Prince was occupied with work, Kate was the gathered a lot of attention in the Big Apple. Along with the first lady of New York City, Chirlane McCray, Kate visited a children’s craft group in Harlem and the response was unbelievable. The Duchess was warmly welcomed by children ecstatic to see her. They believed she was one of the princesses from the children’s movie, Frozen. In the past when Diana, William’s mother, visited NYC, she became a huge star and now Kate is believed to be the closest connection people have to her today.

“They were very excited even to see the motorcade, and there is a real buzz around the city today,” reports Max Foster, a CNN royal correspondent.

Following the occasion on Monday Night, when the Royals attended a Nets vs Cavaliers basketball game, they received a Cleveland jersey with the names “Cambridge” and “George” on the back; one for them and one for their son. While speaking with LeBron, the central topic was shoe size. As a 6’8 NBA Basketball Star, James asked the Prince his shoe size and he replied “half the size as yours,” which was accompanied by laughs. On their final day in NYC, the Royals visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, paying their respects to those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The “Survivor Staircase” exhibit really caught the eye of the royal couple.

“They had lots of questions and interest in how these stairs were used by hundreds of people on that day to escape,” reports Joe Daniels, the museum president.

Departing from the museum, the Duke and Duchess attended an event hosted by The Door and the CityKids Foundation. These organizations are centered on the disadvantaged youth in the West Village, a neighborhood in Manhattan. Throughout the event, personal stories were shared followed by music and performances that had an emotional effect on the Prince at the end.

“That was incredible, guys. It was amazing and should be on in the West End, It nearly had me in tears,” the Prince reported after the event.

The visit came to an end with a visit to the Empire State building, followed by a benefit dinner which celebrated the 600^th anniversary of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.  Kate, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, had to cancel some public events due to bad morning sickness which has been occurring for several months. George, the Royals toddler, did not accompany them on this NYC travel, he stayed back home in the UK.

FSA Connection Questions

1. According to the article, what main attractions did the Royal couple visit during their trip?
2. What is a simile for the word accompany?
3. Putting yourself in the royal shoes, why do you believe they visited the 9/11 Memorial centers?
4. Based on your answer to question four, chose 2 sentences that support your idea.
5. What type of relationship do you believe the USA has with the United Kingdom?