EMPIRE STATE OF MIND: Prince William went solo on Tuesday afternoon, visiting the Empire State Building’s 86th floor observation deck.
The location, the most touristy of the trip, beefing up the fanfare with a crowd spilling over the barricades. Most rubberneckers were passersby that stumbled upon the scene. The scaffolding stretching down 34th Street acted as a makeshift awning so the crowd stayed dry.
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New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio arrived at 2:45 and was ushered inside with Police Commissioner William Bratton. The motorcade pulled up at 3:20 pm and William was swiftly escorted inside, waving on his way in to the fans.
Photographers loitered around for several minutes after due to a false alarm. After William exited the SUV and made his way inside the building, security personnel kept his car door slightly ajar, suggesting his wife would follow. It was later discovered to be a security measure: the car door must remain open until William has been confirmed as secure inside. The open car door would ostensibly save time should William need to vacate exigently. “Ha! Like that’s going to help,” one photog cracked.