How Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Crowds Compare to Prince William and Kate's

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drew crowds in New York as they turned out to receive a human rights award only days after Prince William and Kate Middleton met the American public in Boston.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared in person on the East Coast to receive the Ripple of Hope award from Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights even as Meghan's Archetypes podcast on Spotify won a People's Choice Award closer to home in California.

The laureate sparked controversy after Kerry Kennedy told a magazine it was in recognition of the Sussexes' actions regarding racism allegations they leveled at the monarchy.

Prince William and Kate Middleton had drawn crowds in Boston during a visit across November 30 to December 2 which brought the Earthshot Prize to America.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in New York

Meghan and Harry opted to stay at the New York Hilton on Tuesday to receive the Ripple of Hope award rather than go to the People's Choice Awards in Barker Hanger, Santa Monica, near their Montecito home.

The couple were met by fans outside who raised their phones to take pictures and then faced the media inside, where one reporter shouted: "Are you harming your family Harry? Harry, are you putting money before family?"

Quoted by The Independent, Harry later told guests: "As we all face a complete and challenging time in the world, we choose the path of optimism of care for each other and our communities.

"We understand this honor, not about the culmination of a life's work, but instead and in many ways for us, a beginning."

Meghan said: "The enduring dream of Robert F. Kennedy of a just and peaceful world is so much more than a simple hope. It's a direct ask, a specific challenge, a call to action, a test of individual courage and collective spirit.

"And his appeal to humanity is as relevant today as it was in 1966 when he stood before the University of Cape Town, a place we've visited and hold close to our hearts. And he delivered a vision for the common good of society.

"He also said those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

In November, Kerry Kennedy, the organization's president, said the award recognised that Harry and Meghan "went to the oldest institution in U.K. history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn't have structural racism within the institution."

Prince William and Kate Middleton Meet Fans in U.S.

William and Kate had a rocky start to their U.S. tour after being booed at the Boston Celtics basketball game at TD Garden but they put it behind them during a walkabout the following day.

The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Roca, a non-profit in the Boston suburb of Chelsea, which helps high-risk people aged 16 to 24 caught up in "urban violence," according to a Kensington Palace press release.

Matt Wilkinson, royal correspondent for The Sun, wrote on Twitter: "These crowds.... hundreds have come out for the Prince and Princess of Wales in Boston today. Kate and William had not planned a 'walkabout' but aides did not want to disappoint those waiting (plus its cold, very cold).

"Phones and screams. A lot of phones and screams. This is outside Roca Inc, at Chelsea."