'Americans don't care': Royal fan who shook Kate's hand in Boston on why she was booed

William and Kate receive mixed reception at US basketball game

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Boston Celtics fans would have booed “pretty much everyone who is not from Boston or playing for Boston”, a royal fan who met Kate and Prince William at Wednesday night’s game has said. The delighted royal watcher, who posts on social media under the alias “Royal Tea”, told Express.co.uk meeting the future King and Queen Consort was something she “never thought would happen”.

The Royal Family aficionado and PR guru, whose Twitter account @UKRoyalTea boasts more than 23,000 followers, said: “I have been a casual royal watcher all of my life. A group of girlfriends and I had a sleepover to watch William and Catherine's wedding, and I have been following them more closely since.

“Seeing them in person, let alone shaking their hands, was something I never thought would happen, as I live in the US and they so infrequently come here.”

The avid royal fan who met Kate and William stateside explained she had travelled through pouring rain and “very bad traffic” for 35 minutes to arrive at the TD Garden basketball stadium where the game against Miami Heat took place – a journey that would usually have taken just ten minutes.

She added: “I think that the US is an important market for them to reach, especially with global projects like the Earthshot Prize.

“Hopefully the visit elevates the incredible green tech and non-profits in the Boston area and reaffirms the city's position as a leader in the fight against climate change.”

READ MORE: Outrage as clip shows teary Meghan and Kate giving a look of fury

'I don't think the "USA" chant had anything to do with being anti-monarchy' (Image: TWITTER-@UKRoyalTea)

Kate and William greet royal fans in Boston (Image: TWITTER@UKRoyalTea)

Kate and William court side at the TD Garden stadium (Image: GETTY)

The Bostonian admitted she had heard “some boos” and chants of “USA!” when the Prince and Princess were shown on a giant screen – but she dismissed the heckling as typical behaviour for Boston sports fans, claiming Americans did not care about anti-monarchy sentiment.

She said: “I did hear some boos and ‘USA’ chants, but there was an equal if not larger number of cheers, and that is a pretty standard welcome from Boston sports fans.

“They knew the environment they were walking into and that some of our fans boo pretty much everyone who isn't from Boston or playing for Boston.

“I think the turnout at City Hall, which was specifically for them, shows how much enthusiasm there is in the city for their visit.”

Asked about how appropriate an event a rowdy Boston Celtics game was to host members of the Royal Family, the royal fan said it “was a good choice” and it would help the royals connect and engage with new audiences.

Prince William and Kate Middleton wave to crowds in Boston

The Princess of Wales watches the NBA basketball game (Image: GETTY)

Drawing on her PR expertise, she said: “I actually think the Celtics game was a good choice for them - it was accessible and fun and allowed them to be out in the city in a more casual way.

“I don't think the ‘USA’ chant had anything to do with being anti-monarchy, most Americans do not care about that, but they do love expressing their pride in their own country.

“Earthshot was heavily featured during the game and warmly received. For Earthshot to be successful, they need to engage new audiences and not just the people following them on a regular basis.

“That is the entire point of this visit, to increase visibility for the awards and reach new people, which they did last night.”

It comes as Prince William and Kate are using their three-day visit to promote a cause close to their hearts by getting to know the city of Boston, including learning about how it is taking action to combat the effects of climate change, ahead of the Earthshot prize awards ceremony on Friday evening, a statement released by Kensington Palace said.

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Kate's life in pictures (Image: EXPRESS)

According to the Palace, the Earthshot prize, inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot”’, is an environmental prize which aims to discover, celebrate and scale the best solutions to help repair the planet. At this year’s awards ceremony, The Prince and Princess are set to join activists, innovators, policymakers and performers to celebrate the 2022 cohort of fifteen global finalists before the five winners are awarded.

Their first engagement saw them join Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu, for what was billed as a “very special event” to start the countdown to the Earthshot prize Awards ceremony on Friday.

The Prince and Princess, together with Mayor Wu then assembled at Speaker’s Corner outside City Hall in the centre of the city, where they formally kicked off the Earthshot celebrations lighting up Boston City Hall and landmarks across the city green.


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