Prince Harry's upcoming visit to New York City appears to coincide deliberately with significant events linked to his estranged brother, Prince William. The Duke of Sussex's trip, scheduled for September, will overlap with two high-profile occasions: the UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week, as well as Prince William's Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit.
Prince Harry will be in New York from September 22 to September 29, during which he will participate in numerous engagements with organizations such as African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst. His schedule coincides precisely with Climate Week, which runs from September 22 to September 29, and the UN General Assembly High-level Week, taking place from September 23 to September 27. The overlap with these global events seems to be more than coincidental, according to royal commentators.
The Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, a notable event championed by Prince William to address environmental issues, is set for September 24 at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. This summit is part of the Earthshot Prize initiative, which aims to find and scale innovative solutions to the world's most pressing environmental problems. Notably, Prince William himself will not attend this year's summit, although his presence has been felt through the event's planning and promotion.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams suggested that Prince Harry's decision to visit New York during this period may be a tactical move. "I think the timing was in Harry's mind when he arranged this simply because he knew it would get extra publicity," Fitzwilliams told GB News. "William does not intend to go over [to New York] for the summit for Earthshot."
Prince Harry's spokesperson confirmed that the trip would focus on advancing several of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives. However, the deliberate timing of his visit has fueled speculation about whether it was intended to overshadow or distract from his brother's Earthshot Prize event. "This is part and parcel of their charitable endeavors," Fitzwilliams added. "But by announcing that he is going, he is getting extra publicity."
Adding another layer to the situation, Prince Harry will be traveling alone, with Meghan Markle and their children remaining in Montecito, California. This solo trip follows a recent high-profile incident involving Harry and Meghan- a so-called "near-catastrophic" car chase in Manhattan, which has led to heightened security measures for the Duke during his visits to the city.
Despite the heightened security and the tension surrounding their public appearances, both Harry and William have not acknowledged any personal conflict publicly. The relationship between the brothers remains strained, with no communication reported between them since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022.
