They have arrived! The royal family made their landing in Victoria, British, Columbia, on Saturday evening (we assume everyone else also cancelled their Saturday evening plans to stay in with a bottle of champagne, re-watching a DVRed recording of Kate and William’s wedding, before painting an oil color of George, Charlotte and Lupo, in celebration).
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Holding on to his parents’ hands, the three-year-old future king of Canada walked down the steps of a military plane when they arrived, while Princess Charlotte was cradled by Kate. But at one year old, the princess is actually significantly older than her brother was when he went on HIS first official trip.
The family of four was warmly greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his fashionably-dressed wife Sophie, as well as other dignitaries upon their arrival.
The “Trudeau Show” was on hand to greet the Cambridges, with Prime…
It wasn’t just the kids who were bringing it in the fashion stakes: Kate wore a attractive Jenny Packham dress, and we particularly loved the Queen’s diamond maple leaf brooch she sported. “She was a major royals fan”.
The Duke of Cambridge has said his children were beginning their own “lifetime of friendship” with Canada as Prince George took his first tentative steps in the country. The airport welcoming ceremony was closed to the public.
That legacy will be on full display with First Nations dancers and singers participating in a ceremony today to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be looked after by their nanny at Government House in Victoria, and are expected to be seen publicly just three times during the tour.
Some Canadians – mainly those who dislike the royal family’s expensive lifestyle – are complaining about the cost of the visit for taxpayers. It is rumoured a sandbox has also been installed for the children’s entertainment, with rubber ducks already floating in the ponds of the house.
Catherine bends down to check on George. “We couldn’t be happier for you”, he said.
At 5:05 p.m. they will be at the B.C. legislature where they will officially open the tour by paying their respects at Victoria’s Cenotaph and will unveil a plaque paying tribute to the veterans of Canada’s involvement in the Afghanistan conflict.
In 1998, the then 15-year-old Prince William was said to have been surprised by the extent of so-called “Wills mania”, as teenage girls flocked to catch the eye of the Queen’s grandson.
The royal visit continues tomorrow, with William and Kate heading to Vancouver for a jam-packed day.
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The tour takes the duke and duchess to a food festival at an Okanagan vineyard in Kelowna, and indigenous cultural events at Whitehorse and Carcross in Yukon. “We are very much looking forward to learning how Canadians are tackling some of the biggest challenges of the day, including the environment, supporting young families and the mental health of young people, subjects about which wer’e very passionate”.
