President Joe Biden visited Boston on Friday for a series of appearances and events, including a meeting with Prince William during the final day of the royals' trip to Massachusetts.
President Biden landed at Logan Airport shortly after 2 p.m. Friday, where was greeted by Sen. Ed Markey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massport CEO Lisa Wieland before heading off to the John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester to meet with the Prince of Wales.
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Prince William visited the JFK Library to learn more about the Kennedy administration and its ties to Boston, as his Earthshot Prize honors climate innovators. The Earthshot Prize was inspired by Kennedy's Moonshot speech, which was all about pushing the limits by getting to the moon in the 1960s.
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Protesting railroad workers greeted the president when he arrived -- it was a very different group than those waiting for a glimpse of the prince.
Bobby Spano made sure to offer a warm welcome, saying, "It’s exciting to have them here. How often do you have royalty in your backyard?"
Biden met with the prince Friday afternoon, where the pair greeted each other outside with a handshake and then went inside to speak privately for about 30 minutes. The president was interested in learning more about the Earthshot Prize, the main reason for Prince William's trip to Boston. The duo talked in detail about one of the finalists for the award, and Prince William also shared his "long term ambition" for the Earthshot.
The prince also thanked Biden for traveling to London earlier this year to attend the funeral for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, who died at her Balmoral Castle residence on Sept. 8 at age 96. Both shared personal memories of the late queen.
It was a "warm meeting by all accounts," a British government official told NBC News.
The main purpose of the president’s visit, which was planned before he knew the British royals would be in town, was for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser -- to support Georgia US Senator Rafael Warnock in his runoff election against republican Herschel Walker. A quick stop at the Union Hall in Dorchester was added on -- as was the meet-and-greet with Prince William at the Kennedy Library.
