Harlem charter school plays host to Britain's royals

NEW YORK -- Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, visited Harlem yesterday as part of their whirlwind American weekend, stopping at a charter school where they answered children's questions and the prince shot some hoops with a basketball team.

The prince of Wales and the duchess of Cornwall arrived in New York from Philadelphia by a private train and visited the Harlem Children's Zone, which runs the Promise Academy and a range of social services in the Manhattan neighborhood.

The royal couple are on a trip to the United States that focuses on youth development, urban renewal, and environmental stewardship.

Last night, Prince Charles received an award from Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment and gave a speech on environmental issues. Last year's recipient, former vice president Al Gore, presented the award at New York's Harvard Club.

While Charles has won kudos from environmentalists for his calls to action on global warming, some British environmentalists have said the prince should have abstained from traveling to the United States to help cut pollution.

In response, Charles's office said it would cancel a skiing trip to Switzerland, a gesture that would reduce his carbon footprint -- the carbon dioxide created by his travels.

At the charter school, the royal couple visited an after-school program that teaches middle school students about finances and stock investments. They then saw a school health clinic where children, sitting at computers, were learning about asthma.

Charles and Camilla also watched a rehearsal for a Shakespeare play and a basketball practice. Charles, wearing a blue double-breasted blue suit, blue shirt, and striped tie, attempted two shots. He missed the first but made the second, drawing applause.

"My son was up all night waiting for this," said Arona Pratt, the mother of one of the players.

After visiting the school, the couple went on a terrace giving them a panoramic view of Harlem, including the building where Bill Clinton has an office, and the Hotel Theresa, where Cuban leader Fidel Castro stayed decades ago.