In Case You Missed It
Despite frigid temperatures and the growing threat of early morning precipitation, scores of people defiantly marched to the streets of Harlem en masse, all to catch a glimpse of the Duchess of Cambridge.
Princess Kate, who along with her husband Prince William arrived in New York on Monday, christened Harlem as her first public stopover on a brief three-day jaunt through the city. Arriving at the Northside Center for Child Development early Monday morning, Kate was greeted outside of the facility by First Lady Chirlaine McCray, where they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries in front of an excitable crush of journalists who indiscriminately snapped photos and scribbled notes of every action the dignitaries made, no matter how slight.
A myriad of “woos!” and other exclamations bounced through the nearly frozen crowd as Kate arrived (wearing a stunning black overcoat, for those of you who care), with some spectators even brandishing Union Jack flags as a show of support. After speaking with McCray, Kate swung around and briefly waved at the (mostly middle-aged) crowd, who then promptly began to produce noises similar to the ones one might expect to hear coming from the mosh pit of a One Direction concert.
“I think its a wonderful thing,” said Harlem resident and digital media personality Veronica Kickman. “With all the stuff that we’re going through that they would take the time to encourage and come out here to Harlem especially, it’s really wonderful. I wish William was here but I’ll take Kate,” she joked. “We need joy,” chimed in her friend and neighbor Eleanor. “There’s a lot of tension going’ on and this helps to bring it down…God sent them here with a purpose.”
Kate spent about an hour at the center, walking around and taking the time to chat with the children and their parents. “There are many places she could have picked in New York, and we’re very proud she visited us,” clinical intake coordinator Jennifer Hogan said to the press. “She just said ‘good morning’ and ‘is this what a typical morning is like here? “And we all laughed because obviously this is not a typical morning at the Northside Center.”
As was the case when they arrived last night, well-wishers and admirers assembled from far reaches of the continent to express their admiration. One woman from Canada relayed her plans to trail the Duchess over the course of her visit, while another brought a large bouquet of flowers and a glossy photograph of the princess, in the hopes of procuring an autograph.
Though there was some concern from the NYPD about protests breaking out (several groups are already planning to demonstrate outside Barclays Center later this evening during a basketball game William and Kate are scheduled to attend) it was pretty evident from the smiles and plastic tiaras being passed around that this crowd was largely in the pocket of the monarchy. In fact, the only moment that came closest to dissent came when a group of protestors shouted at the driver of a parked ambulance that blocked their view of Kate.