The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are in the US for three days, during which Prince William will meet President Barack Obama.
Kate Middleton, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, will accompany Prince William to pay respects to those who died in the 9/11 terror attacks.
Danny Lopez, the British consul general in New York, said there had been “incredible interest” in the visit.
He added there has been a huge “level of excitement” from people in the city.
Prince William is also expected to give a speech at a World Bank conference in Washington on combating illegal wildlife trafficking.
Highlighting the scale of the problem the prince is expected to say “some endangered species are now literally worth more than their weight in gold”.
Prince William is set to describe the trade in elephants tusks, rhino horns and other animal parts as “one of the most insidious forms of corruption and criminality in the world today”.
His speech is also expected to make reference to China, which has a market for endangered animal parts, and say that the wholesale price of ivory has risen from $5 to $2,100 per kilogram in the last 25 years.
Prince William will argue that this price hike has increased poaching around the world, and he will urge people to take action.
He will say: “Our collective goal must be to reduce the wildlife trade by making it harder: denying traffickers access to transportation, putting up barriers to their illegal activities, and holding people accountable for their actions.
“Those who look the other way, or spend the illicit proceeds of these crimes, must be held to account.”
And talking about those who engage in the trafficking of animal parts he will say: “Together they loot our planet, to feed mankind’s ignorant craving for pets, trinkets, cures and ornaments derived from the world’s vanishing and irreplaceable species.”
Prince William will be joined by former foreign secretary William Hague, who hosted the government’s conference on illegal wildlife trade in February.
President Barack Obama has welcomed Prince William’s work on the issue, which he called a “a devastating environmental problem”.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are also set to attend an NBA basketball match during the trip.
Kate Middleton will also visit an organization supporting families in Harlem called the Northside Centre for Child Development.
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