The news of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s arrival at the Helicopter Squadron airfield in Victoria, Canada is making waves across the world as people rush to get glimpse of the Duchess’ royal blue Jenny Packham dress embellished with matching Locke & Co hat, the rest of us simply want to get a glimpse of the newest Royals in the club, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
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The Royal family are visiting Canada as part of an eight day visit to the country taking in areas such as Bella Bella, Whitehorse and Kelowna.
24 Sept Victoria, British Columbia: The duke and duchess, accompanied by their children, arrive in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia.
“We feel very fortunate to have time to get to really know parts of this country that we did not get to visit in 2011 but of which I have very happy memories as a shy teenager”, he said, pausing and grinning.
All eyes were on the young prince and princess as they emerged from the Royal Canadian Air Force jet that had flown the family to Patricia Bay.
New research carried out by Ipsos to coincide with the Royal tour found that 58% of Canadians believe the constitutional monarchy helps to define Canada’s identity, with 70% thinking that William and Kate will help to keep the monarchy relevant to Canadians.
Speaking ahead of the visit, a Palace spokesman said: ‘They are incredibly grateful to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the invitation to visit Canada. On this visit the royals will visit British Columbia and the Yukon.
Waiting at the bottom of the plane’s steps to greet them was Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire, who was equally as stylish as Catherine. They end their tour with a public official departure ceremony at Victoria Harbour Airport.
The couple then jointly laid a wreath holding hands briefly to steady the Duchess as they walked backwards down the steps.
The Duchess also revealed how excited she was about the visit, saying: “Both of us love mountains and there seems to be a lot of them here. There is a lot to do in a short period of time”.
While the couple will be keeping their children close throughout the tour, they recently opened up about their fears as parents.
Well-wisher Aurora Vandall, 36, from Victoria, said she had spoken to the Duke to welcome him to Canada: “He said “I hope the children aren’t tearing up the Governor’s House right now”.
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.
Kate told their hosts: “They had a very good tea”. Tomorrow’s stop in Vancouver includes a stop at Sheway, a program that provides health and social service support to women who are pregnant or parenting and are dealing with drug and alcohol issues.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The tour will see them take in everything from the bustling global city of Vancouver – population 2.5 million – to the emote and lovely Bella Bella, home to less than 2,000 people”.
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This will be followed by remarks from the Governor General, the prime minister, the premier and Prince William, along with signing the government of Canada’s Golden Book and B.C.’s Distinguished Visitors’ Book.
