Prince William and Kate Middleton charge 15 couples £32k EACH for dinner in New York

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave for tour of New York tonight
Will attend lavish dinner hosted by Brit advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell
Huge sums of money paid by guests will go to Royal Foundation charity

Published: 17:00 EST, 6 December 2014 | Updated: 13:28 EST, 7 December 2014

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Whistlestop tour: The private dinner is one of ten engagements the Duke and Duchess have during their two-day US trip

It is the most hotly anticipated Royal visit since the days of Princess Diana. Huge crowds, heart-warming photo opportunities and a meeting with the President are all on the schedule.

But when, later today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge start their whirlwind New York tour, they will have another, rather more confidential objective in mind.

For tonight, at a lavish reception at a private residence from which the press is barred, Kate and William will shake the hands of 15 wealthy couples who are each paying $50,000 –– or £32,000 – for the privilege. It is the start of an important US campaign which they hope will pull in millions for their favourite charities.

A source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The dinner on the first night is essentially a fundraiser. The people William and Kate will be meeting are not celebrities but seriously wealthy hedge fund types and financiers.’

The event will be hosted by British advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell and his wife Cristiana at their vast apartment in mid-town Manhattan.

Sir Martin, whose WPP Group is one of the world’s biggest marketing companies, earned £30 million last year. His stake in the business is worth £260 million.

The guests have been asked to dress for cocktails, with drinks at 6.30pm followed by dinner at 7.30pm. They will be served by about eight royal staff.

The money will go to the Royal Foundation, the charity run by the couple and Prince Harry which gives grants to good causes such as Tusk, the wildlife protection charity.

‘William and Kate are principally there to meet and greet and to raise money for the foundation,’ the source added. ‘The couples attending are being asked to pay thousands of dollars to be there, and there is a lot of talk about cash for access.’

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The evening, which has been billed as ‘private’ on the official itinerary, has been organised by Caroline Oddy, executive director of the American Friends of the Royal Foundation, the US arm of the charity.

The last time the couple both attended an event in aid of the Royal Foundation was in Santa Barbara in 2011.

Tonight, at a lavish reception at a private residence from which the press is barred, Kate and William will shake the hands of 15 wealthy couples who are each paying £32,000 for the privilege

William and Kate arrive at the Royal Variety Awards (related)

The guests at the Manhattan dinner have been asked to dress for cocktails, with drinks at 6.30pm followed by dinner at 7.30pm

Then, more than £650,000 was raised at a polo match, with individuals paying up to £65,000 to play alongside William. But since then, donations have declined. The Friends raised less than £260,000 in 2012.

William is also keen to use the American tour to promote wildlife conservation. On Monday, he will travel alone to Washington where he will meet President Obama, before a conference on the illegal wildlife trade at the World Bank.

However, last night it emerged that one of the board members of the American Friends of the Foundation, John Studzinksi, has a major financial interest in the controversial marine park SeaWorld.

The event will be hosted by British advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell, above, and his wife Cristiana at their vast apartment in mid-town Manhattan

The 58-year-old, known as ‘Studz’, is senior managing director of The Blackstone Group, which owns SeaWorld parks in California, Texas and Florida.

The parks have been mired in controversy after a scathing documentary, Blackfish, highlighted alleged cruelty towards killer whales and dolphins in captivity – although SeaWorld denied mistreating any animals.

Last night a source said: ‘It is ironic that Prince William is going to be promoting his favourite animal charities while his main host is on the board of a company which owns amusement parks which exploit animals for entertainment.’

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are travelling without Prince George, will be meeting the Clintons during their two-day US tour

The Duke and Duchess, who are travelling without Prince George, will carry out ten engagements during the two-day tour, including a meeting with the Clintons, watching an NBA basketball match and a rumoured meeting with Jay Z and Beyoncé. It is the couple’s first visit to New York and they are staying at the exclusive Carlyle Hotel.

The Duchess will carry out two solo engagements in New York on Monday, while William is in Washington, including visiting underprivileged children in Harlem, just as Princess Diana did in 1989.

The couple will then attend a conservation reception at the British Consul General’s residence before watching the basketball match.

On Tuesday they will visit the September 11 Memorial Museum, before touring a youth organisation and attending a reception to boost British tourism. Their final engagement is the 600th anniversary gala of St Andrews University, which they both attended, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said of tonight’s reception: ‘It’s a private dinner that will comprise of supporters of the American Friends.

The visit to the US is partly on behalf the Royal Foundation so it is entirely appropriate the Duke and Duchess meet supporters.’

Separately, The Mail on Sunday understands that Prince Charles will be making his own fundraising trip to New York later in the year.