A backed Prince William hopes to play a role as a global statesman when he visits the US after a favorable survey put him ahead of Joe Biden.
The Royal, 41, will next Monday highlight the Earthshot Prize, his environmental award for planet-saving solutions and initiatives.
But an aide says a recent poll, which rated him more favorably than the US president or even Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, will not distract him from his task.
The Gallup survey involved fifteen pre-selected names of ‘public figures in the news’ and the Americans were asked whether they thought positively about them or not.
William came in at the top with 59 percent, while Russian President Vladimir Putin came in at the bottom, with only 5 percent of respondents rating him positively.
The aide said, “Of course he is aware of the poll.
“He’s not distracted by polls; his focus is always on getting on with his job and concentrating on his job.”
Next Monday, William will be highlighting the Earthshot Prize, his environmental award for planet-saving solutions and initiatives
William came in at the top with 59 percent, while Russian President Vladimir Putin came in at the bottom, with only 5 percent of respondents rating him positively.
Still, the results should come as a relief, given Meghan and Harry’s attacks on the royal family in various interviews and TV shows.
William will make a solo visit, in terms of other members of the royal family, but will be joined by at some point Earthshot champion and actress Cate Blanchett.
He will too met UN Secretary General António Guterres during the trip.
Later in the visit, he will get wet in the Hudson River to raise awareness of a water project.
During the trip, he will also unveil this year’s 15 Earthshot finalists ahead of the November finale.
The assistant added Sunday Times: ‘This journey is part of his evolution as a global statesman, which is incredibly important, especially since he became Prince of Wales.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal take part in the podcast special The Good, The Bad and The Rugby World Cup at Windsor Castle, Berkshire
The Duke of Cambridge (centre) with Danny Kelly and Cate Blanchett, who will be in New York
‘He and his courtiers have been considering how to handle the transition from Duke of Cambridge to the next king. You’ve seen some iterations of that, whether that’s meeting with Joe Biden in Boston or traveling to the border with Ukraine and talking about the importance of fighting for our freedoms.
‘The US is very important to him. The world’s climate movers and shakers will be in New York to have conversations about the future of the planet and the Prince is keen to be part of those conversations and put Earthshot at the forefront.
“He has huge ambitions for what the prize can become and is extremely focused on its legacy and impact.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales will travel together to Singapore later this year for the final of William’s environmental award.
The couple will travel to the Southeast Asian country in November after it was selected as the destination for the third annual Prince’s Earthshot Prize ceremony.
Kate greeted Ellie Goulding with a friendly kiss on the cheek at last year’s ceremony, as they were pictured smiling as they caught up at the Earthshot Prize in Boston
The event will see the five winners of the 2023 Earthshot Prize receive £1 million.
The ceremony will also feature performances by world-famous musicians and artists.
Founded by Prince William in 2020, the Earthshot Prize aims to find solutions to tackle climate change issues.
Last year’s ceremony took place in the US in Boston, when guests arrived in hybrid vehicles and were encouraged to wear vintage, recycled or reusable clothing. Kate, who presented an award, wore a rented lime green Solace London dress from fashion platform Hurr and paired it with an emerald choker worn by Princess Diana.
William has said that Earthshot was inspired by John F Kennedy’s Moonshot program, which challenged America to put man on the moon and help launch the 1969 moon landing. Last year’s winners included a British start-up, Notpla, which uses seaweed to make packaging.