Kate champions British fashion brands during royal visit to Boston

Princess of Wales chose a tartan dress in a nod to St Andrew's Day

Prince William and his wife Kate attend a welcoming event with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at City Hall Plaza. EPA

For their arrival at Boston airport, Prince William opted for a dark blue suit with light blue tie, while the Princess of Wales wore a tailored suit by Alexander McQueen in aubergine. AFP

The Prince and Princess of Wales with Wu and her family. EPA

Kate in her coat by Alexander McQueen. EPA

Kate wore a tartan dress by Burberry to meet Wu and her children. PA

Prince William and his wife Kate have turned on the charm on day one of their three-day tour of Boston. This is their first trip to the US in eight years, and their first venture overseas since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

With a packed schedule, the Princess of Wales has seized the opportunity to showcase British fashion, and has already stepped out in a who’s who of top UK names.

Stepping off the plane at Logan International Airport in Boston, the pair opted for co-ordinating trouser suits. Prince William wore a classic, single-breasted navy blue suit, with a pale blue tie, while Kate chose a sharply tailored suit by Alexander McQueen, in deep aubergine. With exaggerated shoulders, the jacket was paired with matching cigarette trousers. She teamed the look with a black polo neck sweater, pumps by Gianvito Rossi and white diamond and sapphire drop earrings.

Later, for a meeting with Boston’s mayor Michelle Wu, Kate chose a forest green tartan dress by Burberry, paired with an Alexander McQueen coat, also in deep green, a Mulberry handbag and earrings by Shyla London.

With the couple's arrival in Boston coinciding with St Andrew's Day in Scotland, the choice of tartan for the princess’s dress was a nod to the nation where the royal couple first met, at the University of St Andrews in Fife.

The couple are in the US for the second annual Earthshot Prize ceremony on Friday, where five environmentalists will be honoured for their work, as chosen by a council that includes Sir David Attenborough and Prince William, who addressed crowds on Wednesday, thanking “hardy Bostonians” for braving the rain.

“Catherine and I firmly believe that we all have it in ourselves to achieve great things, and that human beings have the ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve,” he said.

However, the trip began amid royal controversy in the UK. Earlier this week at a Buckingham reception hosted by the Queen Consort Camilla, Lady Susan Hussey — who is also Prince William's godmother — repeatedly asked Ngozi Fulani, a British citizen and the director of a charity against domestic abuse, "what part of Africa" she was from.

After Fulani took to Twitter in outrage, Hussey apologised and resigned. The palace later released a statement, which read: "We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details. In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made. We have reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter, and are inviting her to discuss all elements of her experience in person if she wishes."