The 28-year-old arrived in Washington DC at the start of a week-long tour of America which he will use to show that he is ready to take on the sort of long-haul foreign visits the Queen is cutting back on.
The warmth of the reception given to the Prince was reminiscent of the greeting he was given by the Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller last year, when fears of tension over the Commonwealth realm’s rumblings of republicanism were dispelled with a spontaneous bear hug between the two.
The Prince arrived in Washington at the start of only his second solo tour representing the Queen, and while his first trip, to the Caribbean last year, was memorable for fun moments such as his race with Usain Bolt, the next week will have a more sober feel.
Wounded service personnel will take centre stage during the tour as the Prince visits the Warrior Games for injured veterans, the Arlington National Cemetery and a hospital treating those wounded in Afghanistan.
He will also join David Cameron next week at an event promoting investment in the UK, and will visit parts of the east coast hit by last year's Superstorm Sandy.
