British Prince William met with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House Monday, as part of a three-day tour of the U.S.
Both men, dressed in dark suits before assembled media, made what appeared to be lighthearted comments during a short photo op.
Vice President Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden met with the Duke of Cambridge before he met with Obama. During their visit, Biden and William discussed the bilateral relationship and the two countries’ efforts to combat ISIL, according to White House press secretary Josh Earnest.
Following his brief meeting with Obama, William addressed a gathering at the World Bank where he emphasized the need to fight the illegal wildlife trade, which he called “one of the most insidious forms of corruption and criminality.”
“Here, criminal gangs turn vast profits from the illegal killing or capture of wildlife, armed groups and terrorists swap poached ivory for guns, and middlemen oil the wheels of the trade in return for reward,” he said.
William briefed Obama on his initiative to combat the illicit trade while at the White House, according to Earnest.
As William completes his tour of Washington, his wife, Duchess Kate Middleton, is in New York where she met with the city’s first lady Chirlane McCray. The two helped children at an East Harlem school make holiday crafts, and wrap Christmas presents.
The royal couple is expected to meet later Monday in New York to take in a Brooklyn Nets basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James, the Cavaliers star, said that playing before William and Kate will be a “huge honor.”
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