My royal dad went to New York and all I got was this lousy T-shirt! Prince William didn’t come home from his recent trip to the United States empty handed.
The Prince of Wales visited New York City solo for the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit and picked up some delightfully kitschy gifts in the process.
As William greeted crowds outside of a New York Fire Department firehouse, he was handed a stack of “I [Heart] NY” shirts for his three kids.
William and his wife, Kate Middleton, are parents to 10-year-old Prince George, 8-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 5-year-old Prince Louis.
In one video captured by an onlooker, the next in line to the British royal throne graciously accepted the gift before handing it to his security detail.
When another well-wisher urged William to bring his children back to New York, he replied, “One day I’d love to.”
During his visit, William stopped at the Ten House fire station, which is located near Ground Zero, and served as a critical command center during 9/11 response efforts.
William toured the firehouse, shaking hands and speaking with veteran firefighters as well as new recruits, and was led on the tour by Acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh.
According to People, William also picked up small rubber fire trucks, pens, notebooks, and T-shirts from the firehouse as souvenirs to bring to his children.
In addition to his firehouse trip and his work with the Earthshot Prize, William also went for a casual jog in Central Park.
“I decided to join the hordes of New Yorkers doing their morning routine,” William told the crowd at the summit. “It was wonderful waking up in New York on a sunny morning rather than the rain we had yesterday. It was beautiful getting some fresh air this morning.”
Middleton did not join her husband for the brief trip.
“This is a fleeting visit, and the couple tend not to travel abroad together unless they have to, because, of course, they’re juggling childcare and schooling for three children,” royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET.
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