One woman traveled three hours from upstate New York just to see them. A dance teacher held up her class, causing her students to miss their train back to Connecticut, for the chance to glimpse their distinguished profiles.

It was, after all, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who are known more affectionately as Charles and his wife, Camilla. Even in a city of wealth and celebrity, the two are an uncommon sight.

The pair last visited the city a little more than a year ago when they attended a September 11 memorial service and met with the relatives of British victims of the terrorist attacks.

This time, they are only in the city for the weekend. They spent Saturday in Philadelphia and yesterday toured New York, where Charles received an award for his contributions to environmentalism at the Harvard Club. “He does good things for everyone,” a Catskill, N.Y., resident, Elizabeth Starek, said as she waited alongside more than 100 onlookers for the prince to arrive at an award ceremony in Midtown. “He’s a swell guy. People don’t really know him.”

She said she stayed up the night making him a “presentation” of writings that she wanted to give Charles, and a sign that read: “This Magic Moment from the USA Part 2.”

The opportunity for some face time never arrived for the crowd as the prince only paused long enough for a quick wave before entering the club.

Vice President Gore and actress Meryl Streep presented Charles with the Global Environmental Citizen Award on behalf of the Center for Health and Global Environment at the Harvard Medical School at a black tie event with 330 invited guests.

Charles said in his acceptance speech that it was urgent for people around the world, especially in the United States and Europe, to reassess their personal consumption and attitudes toward the environment.

“Perhaps we should see this as a war that we simply have to win,” he said.

In her remarks, Ms. Streep drew laughter when she said, “as a girl growing up in New Jersey, one of my goals was to marry the Prince of Wales.” Charles later said that Ms. Streep had “entirely made my year.”

In the United Kingdom there has recently been an increased awareness of “carbon footprints,” which takes account each individual’s carbon emissions in driving, flying, or consuming goods that require the burning of fossil fuels.

After criticism from environmental groups and members of parliament for his numerous flights, Charles canceled a skiing trip to Switzerland and flew to New York this week on a British Airways flight instead of by private jet. His aides say he will now fly by commercial airline whenever possible.

The pair began their New York visit at the Harlem Children’s Zone, an agency that supports a charter school and performs social services for children in the area. They observed an investment camp, a basketball practice, and a student production of part of the final scene of “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.”

After watching the scene with the students’ parents, the prince asked the actor playing Thisbe, Deondre Coston, 13, how he manages to remember his lines.

“It’s much easier when you’re young,” Charles said. “I can’t remember anything now.”

The pair then observed some children preparing for a math competition. A staff member, Heidi Lopez, from the Harlem Children’s Zone sat with the duchess for about five minutes as she worked on a Sudoku puzzle.

“She told me she was addicted to it,” Ms. Lopez, 24, said. “She was showing me her strategies and everything. She had to be dragged away.”

After viewing Harlem from a terrace of the building with the school’s director, Charles broke with his seemingly royal demeanor and played basketball with some of the teenagers practicing in the gym. Wearing a double-breasted dark blue suit, blue shirt, and striped tie, he took two shots, missing once, and sinking one from close range to applause from everyone in the gymnasium.