Kate and William make first public appearance in Boston after he reprimanded his godmother over racist comments

The couple landed in the US hours after Buckingham Palace became embroiled in a racism row involving Lady Susan Hussey

The Prince and Princess of Wales made their first public appearance in Boston after William reprimanded his own godmother for racist comments that led to her resignation.

William and Kate were welcomed by the Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker as they arrived for their United States tour at Boston Logan International Airport on Wednesday.

Their touchdown in the US, for their first foreign trip since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, came just hours after Buckingham Palace became embroiled in the racism row involving Lady Susan Hussey.

The couple, who have not visited the US since 2014, will attend an awards ceremony for the Earthshot environmental prize the prince set up. They are also due to visit the city’s John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum where they will meet his daughter Caroline Kennedy.

Upon landing in the US, William issued a statement thanking the “people of Massachusetts and particularly Boston for their many tributes paid to the late Queen.”

He added that his late grandmother had “remembered her 1976 bicentennial visit with great fondness.”

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The visit coincides with Lady Hussey, the late Queen’s lady-in-waiting, resigning after she asked Ngozi Fulani, a prominent Black advocate for survivors of domestic abuse, where she “really came from”.

Buckingham Palace said it took the incident at the Queen Consort’s reception on violence against women on Tuesday “extremely seriously” and had investigated immediately.

Speaking to reporters in the US ahead of a visit by the Prince of Wales, a Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “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 guest’s 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.”