Prince Harry Tours Storm-Damaged Jersey Shore
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John Stillwell – Pool/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Britain’s Prince Harry’s made his entrance to New York City on Tuesday a way not likely to be seen from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, or any other royal for that matter, anytime soon.
Prince Harry, 28, made his grand entrance into the Big Apple not by horse or carriage or with trumpets sounding, but on a double-decker bus.
The prince, nearing the end of his eight-day tour of the United States, stepped off a red double-decker bus in Manhattan along with British Prime Minster David Cameron at an event to promote England as a tourist destination.
Prince Harry’s stop in New York City came after the prince spent the day in another place that would seem an unlikely destination for a royal: Seaside Heights, N.J., the town where the infamous MTV reality show Jersey Shore was filmed.
The fun-loving prince, whose last trip to the U.S. included headline-making escapades in Las Vegas, was there, however, for the more serious matter of viewing firsthand the New Jersey shore communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy six months ago.
Prince Harry had New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, along with the governor’s family, as his personal tour guide on their walking tour. In between stops to view the damage, the prince shook hands with the first responders who came to the rescue when the storm struck and the construction crews now working to rebuild the famous shore.
“It’s the American spirit, isn’t it? Everyone getting together and making things right,” Prince Harry said, according to the New York Times. “It’s fantastic.”
Prince Harry, who was given an honorary fleece by the governor, also met families whose homes were destroyed and played a few games along the boardwalk, all to the cheers of fans.
The prince is scheduled to attend a charity fundraiser Tuesday night before moving on to Greenwich, Conn., for the final leg of his tour, which has taken him from Washington, D.C., to Colorado over the past week.
In Connecticut, Harry plans to participate in a polo match to raise funds for his African charity.
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