Camilla, dressed in pink, and Charles kick off U.S. visit

By J.T. Nguyen Nov 1, 2005, 20:21 GMT

New York - Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, made their first foreign appearance as the British royal couple on Tuesday, visiting the destroyed New York World Trade Centre site to pay respects to those killed in the 2001 terrorist attack.

The stop at Ground Zero, as the razed site is known, kicked off the couple's eight-day visit to the United States that will take them to the White House for a formal dinner, New Orleans to inspect hurricane recovery and California to rub elbows with organic farmers.

Neither had visited the city since the September 11 attacks. The trip is their first foreign journey together since their marriage in April.

Camilla, 58, dressed in a pink Italian wool crepe jacket and dress by British designer Roy Allen, was without her customary hat, and her fair hair flowed in the windy but sunny weather.

After Ground Zero, the 57-year-old heir to the British throne spent about 90 minutes at U.N. headquarters - without his wife - talking passionately about his programme to assist young people becoming business entrepreneurs.

The couple spent 20 minutes inside Ground Zero with New York Governor George Pataki, who moved his hands to explain how the site will be reconstructed. The pair paused at a memorial overlooking the site where 2,700 people were killed, and the Duchess left an array of yellow and orange orchids, roses, lilies and hydrangeas.

A hand-written card from the Prince accompanying the flowers read: 'In enduring memory of our shared grief.'

As they left, the couple drove past 200 people gathered to greet them, but did not stop or return the gesture.

'It was a real disappointment,' said Shirley Strawder, who lives nearby and waited more than an hour. 'But I do like them anyway.'

The trip is being billed as Camilla's first chance to step out abroad and charm one of the royal family's largest constituencies, the former rebel colony of the United States.

But it won't be easy to replace Charles' beloved former wife, the late Diana, in the hearts of Americans. Diana wowed the country 20 years ago by dancing with Hollywood heart throb John Travolta at the White House. <!--page-->

But at least one fan - a tourist from West Virginia who would only identify herself as 'Mary' - expressed good will.

'I think they are meant to be together, in spite of Diana,' said Mary, also waiting for a glimpse at Ground Zero. 'I am an American, but I really like the British royal family.'

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is running for re-election next Tuesday, was not at the World Trade Centre site, in keeping with an overall lack of attention to the royal visit.

Charles and Camilla are competing with a steady flow of stories about White House scandal, political ineptness, bird flu and violence in Iraq. According to one poll, 81 per cent of Americans were not remotely interested in the couple, and fewer than one in five wanted to meet them.

After visiting Ground Zero, the royal couple drove in a 14-car motorcade to Hanover Square off Wall Street, about a ten minute walk from the site, to dedicate a British Memorial Garden being built in memory of the 67 British citizens who died in the attack.

While at the World Trade Centre site, the couple also visited the Family Room, a small room set aside for relatives of those killed. The walls carry personal mementos, photographs, birthday cards and tributes from military services around the world. A model of the twin towers is displayed along with a dove.

Flying high above the memorial was a Union Jack, as the British flag is known, recovered from the rubble after September 11, 2001.

At U.N. headquarters, Charles and Secretary-General Kofi co-chaired a conference for youth employment that aims at assisting young people to become business entrepreneurs. Unlike the security-tight situation at Ground Zero, Charles relaxed and spent more than 20 minutes leisurely chatting with business leaders as well as young delegates.

Two successful youths who are owners of a cafe shop in Barbados and a South African hairdresser were introduced to the prince, who took note of their stories about how they set up shops.

Charles called for closer cooperation between governments, businesses, the U.N. and non-governmental organizations to help young people get employment.

'Many young people, at the end of the day, need constructive help with personal development and with a growth of self-confidence and self-esteem,' which he said is absolutely crucial for youths to gain a foothold in the world.

Charles said he based his judgements on more than 30 years in helping young people get jobs in his own country.

He told the gathering that he is 'almost as old as the U.N.,' and was watching with fascination events at U.N. headquarters celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the organization.

Outside the United Nations, a handful of Diana fans protested against the royal pair. Linda Hardwick, from Edinburgh, waved a banner with a big picture of the late princess and the words: 'Camilla, you are no Princess Di'.