Prince William to meet Obama at White House during US visit

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are making a flyby visit to the US next week that will include a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House.

The royal couple will be in the country from December 7 to 9 and their short stay will include a visit to the September 11 memorial in New York City, Kensington Palace said.

Prince William will meet with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office on Monday, part of a visit to Washington to a conference on illegal trafficking of ivory and other wildlife, the White House said.

The visit is part of a trip next week to New York City by William and his wife, Kate, known officially since their 2011 wedding as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

"The president welcomes the prince's work in this global fight against what is both a national security threat and a devastating environmental problem," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.

The Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant with their second child. Their son Prince George, who was born last July, will not be going with them on the Dec. 7-9 trip, which will take the couple to New York for the first time.

The son of heir to the throne Prince Charles and his first wife Diana, William will also go to Washington D.C. to attend an anti-corruption conference on the smuggling of wildlife parts and the illegal ivory trade.

Kate will stay in New York where she will be accompanied by the wife of Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chirlane McCray, on a visit to a local child development center.

In New York, the couple, known officially since their 2011 wedding as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will also attend a basketball game to promote cooperation between the NBA and organisations in Britain of which they are patrons.

The last time the couple visited the United States was in 2011, when they went to California.

The Duchess, who only recently resumed official duties after a severe bout of morning sickness, is due to give birth next April.

Source: Reuters

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