– Obama meeting a coup –
The visit will undoubtedly revive memories of the 1985 trip made by William’s parents, Charles and Diana, when the princess, wearing a dazzling gown, danced with US president Ronald Reagan and Hollywood star John Travolta.
Jobson said palace officials were keen to balance the spotlight better than they did with Charles and Diana.
“They don’t simply want it to be dominated by the Kate factor,” he said. READ: Prince William, Kate expecting second baby.
“They’re trying to keep William and Kate’s programme designed carefully so that she doesn’t upstage him everywhere he goes, because British and other media seem to be obsessed with what Kate wears and the baby bump,” Jobson said.
“They’ve obviously got a more serious agenda, which is that this is the future king meeting the president of the United States and entering the special relationship,” he added.
After the meeting with Obama, William will address the World Bank on illegal wildlife trading.
“It is quite a coup for William that he has been invited to the White House by Obama because this is his topic, something he has specifically raised awareness about,” royal biographer Penny Junor said.
It will be the first time either William or Kate will have been to New York or Washington.
William, who is training to become an air ambulance pilot in his day job, is also preparing for a trip to Japan and China in late February-early March, without Kate, who is due to give birth in April.
That visit is being viewed in Britain as an attempt to improve top-level diplomatic relations with Beijing.
“In terms of foreign travel, I would guess that he and his younger brother Prince Harry would be the ones that do it in future because they have got huge appeal,” Junor said.
“He’s definitely a draw, people love him the world over. They will use him, for sure,” said the author, who wrote “Prince William: Born to Be King”.
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