British Royals

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William & Kate in Los Angeles: Day 1

Jul 9

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The moment William & Kate touched down in LAX, you know it’s a whole different ballgame…

William & Kate at media summit (left).  At Hancock Park reception (right).
Pictures from Getty Images


Arrival at LAX. The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge continue to the next leg of their North American tour with a weekend visit to LA.  California governor Jerry Brown met them at the tarmac.  Kate had notably changed from her red Catherine Walker dress earlier in the day to a lavender-grey Roksanda Ilincic dress. Several local news channels covered the event live, and even followed their motorcade live aerially from the airport all the way to Beverly Hills!  Welcome to America, Will & Kate!

Media Summit at Beverly Hilton Hotel. The couple were met by Neil Stiles, president of the entertainment magazine group Variety who jointly sponsored the Venture Capital New Media Summit with the UK Trade and Investment to promote British technological business interests in America. After meeting delegates from the British and American technology sectors, William and Kate then took to the stage to become a part of the summit. Laughter from the crowd when Kate tapped (a bored-looking?) William when the hosts were asking for more opinions from the forum.  The couple were then treated to a series of practical demonstrations of how technology is transforming our everyday lives.

Reception at Hancock Park. William & Kate head off to the home of the Consul-General in Hancock Park, where they’ll be staying during their visit.  In the evening a reception was held at the garden with government officials, local dignitaries and businessmen.  Among the celebrity attendees were David Beckham and Stephen Fry. Kate changed into a “maja” green silk Diane Von Furstenberg dress for the evening. The couple worked the crowd separately, making sure each one of the 200 guests gets to meet at least one of them. They retired at 8:30pm, in preparation for another long day tomorrow.

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William & Kate 2011 Canadian Tour: Day 9 (Calgary)

Jul 9

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Previous days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8

Day 9: 8 July 2011
Calgary, Canada

William & Kate wave Canada goodbye. Well done!

Calgary Stampede Parade. William & Kate kicked off the Calgary Stampede Parade by pressing the button to launch the fireworks.  Once again, they were both in cowboy garb and stenson hats.  William had recycled his shirt from yesterday while Kate changed into another Temperley shirt.  This year’s parade drew record crowds.  The royal couple watched part of the parade, and then left for more engagements.

Reception at the Calgary Zoo Conservatory. A quick stop at the zoo, where they met crowds.  Kate had changed into a red Catherine Walker dress.

Official Departure Ceremony. The Governor General, the Prime Minister, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, and the Premier of Alberta bid farewell to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge at an Official Departure Ceremony complete with full military honours, a 21-gun salute, inspection of the Guard of Honour by William.  They were then off to the airport for a final wave as they completed a highly successful first tour of Canada.

Congratulations to William, Kate and Canada!
A BRILLIANT first tour. Many more to come…


Pictures: Getty Images | Rex Features

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William & Kate 2011 Canadian Tour: Day 8 (Calgary)

Jul 8

Posted by britishroyals in Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Previous days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Day 8: 7 July 2011
Calgary, Canada

Arrival in Calgary. The cowboy hats, the cancer-stricken little girl, and the wind.

Kate fulfills a cancer-striken girl's wish. Todd Korol/Reuters

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Calgary International Airport were met by dignitaries and a very sick 6-year-old girl.  The mayor presented them with traditional white, stetson cowboy hats – a long-standing tradition in Calgary and a symbol of Western hospitality.  But to the disappointment of the crowd and media waiting, they didn’t put it on.  At least not right away…

But the highlight of the arrival went to six-year-old Diamond Marshall, a very sick girl with undifferentiated abdominal sarcoma, who had recently lost all her hair to chemotherapy and radiation.  Diamond’s wish of  meeting a real princess came true when she met Kate.  Read her letter to Kate here.  Unable to contain her excitement, the little girl ran across the tarmac to give Kate a hug.  Kate bent down despite the furious wind and chatted with the youngster.  A heartwarming moment that evokes memories of Diana.

It was very windy at the airport, and Kate struggled to prevent a Marilyn Monroe moment.  Kate was wearing a yellow (!!!) “Primrose dress” by Jenny Packham.   More about the dress

Tour of the University of Calgary Ward of the 21st Century Research and Innovation Centre.  At the University of Calgary W21C Research and Innovation Centre, William & Kate attended a presentation on cutting-edge health research and innovation.  They met iStan, a human patient simulator.  iStan simulated a cardiac arrest, prompting Kate to undo his shirt as William performed CPR and used the AED. Article about the simulation.  Video here.

Reception at BMO Centre. And the real fun begins.  Arriving by stage coach, wearing their new white ten gallon hats and full cowboy gear, William and Kate made a colourful entrance to the Calgary Stampede exhibition centre. William threw a stove into a “chuck wagon,” the traditional way to start one of the stampede’s races. The royal pair also got a chance to see rodeo riders, including “mutton busting” – young kids riding on sheep in their version of the rodeo.  William even almost stepped into a bullpen, making his wife and security team nervous.

Yee-haw! William & Kate in full cowboy spirit at Calgary

Prince William later gave a beautiful speech, thanking Canadians for their welcome, praising its beauty, and describing their unforgettable week:

“In 1939 my great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, said of her first tour of Canada with her husband, King George VI: ‘Canada made us.’ Catherine and I now know very well what she meant.”

“Canada has far surpassed all that we were promised. Our promise to Canada is that we shall return”

I am sure Canadians will be very pleased with that. After all, as PM Stephen Harper said about the people’s reaction to their tour: “we haven’t seen a love-in like that since the first visit of the Beatles!”


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William & Kate 2011 Canadian Tour: Day 7 (Slave Lake)

Jul 8

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Day 7: 6 July 2011
Slave Lake, Alberta

Prince William meets wheelchair-bound Riley Oldford before departing for Slave Lake

What was initially thought as a day off turned into a visit to Slave Lake, a town almost entirely reduced to ashes by forest fires less than two months ago. Some 40 per cent of Slave Lake in Northern Alberta was razed when ground when it was hit by a wildfire on May 15. The visit was planned ahead of time, according to officials, but wasn’t announced so as not to distract reconstruction efforts. Nonetheless, the locals were beyond thrilled of the visit and came in throngs. The request to tour the devastated town came directly from the royal couple

Kate was wearing the same navy designer blazer she wore to depart the UK, her favourite pair of skin tight jeans and Pied A Terre black wedges with a cream ruffled chiffon shirt. Read more about today’s look.  William was smart but casual in jeans and a blazer.

The Duke and Duchess spent an hour and a half touring areas of the town which were affected by the fire and visited Northern Lakes College, where they met with emergency services personnel from the fire brigade, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the medical response team. William and Kate had a private meeting with families affected by the disaster.

Slave Lake’s residents turned out to catch a glimpse of Kate and William, basking in the sunshine with flowers, posters and balloons. They considered the visit a major morale boost.

 

William & Kate inspect the disaster sites in Slave Lake

 

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After the Slave Lake visit, a much-deserved 24-hour down time.  William and Kate had spent the night at Skoki Lodge, a remote, rustic resort high above Lake Louise.  Known for its majestic vistas, they took a helicopter ride through the Rocky Mountains. The lodge has no electricity or running water. However, it was reported that one cabin was retrofitted just for the royal couple, with a full bathroom flown to the location in two separate parts. Picture here.

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William & Kate 2011 Canadian Tour: Day 6 (Northwest Territories)

Jul 6

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Day 6: 5 July 2011
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories


Official Arrival to the Northwest Territories. William & Kate were at Somba K’e Civic Plaza to take part in Aboriginal traditions and activities, including traditional drumming, dancing and sports. William gave a speech to much applause. Then the picture of the day went to him trying his hand at “shinny” or street hockey. He tried firing 3 penalty shots but didn’t score! The first one went wide and the goalee saved the next two. Kate didn’t fire any shots (she would have if it weren’t for her heels, she said), but dropped the puck (or rather, ball) to start the game.

Session of Youth Parliament at the Legislative Assembly. The royal couple then heard from NWT’s youth about their challenges and where they see themselves in the future. Not much to say except that those who have been watching the live stream would agree that this bit was rather unexciting.

Blachford Lake: Canadian Rangers and Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning.  A quick change to casual clothing (Kate in skinny jeans and flats) and a canoe ride after, and they’re off to Blachford Lake to meet Canadian Rangers. They were presented with gifts and Kate was made an honorary ranger (William is already one). A sweet moment was captured of William fixing Kate’s ranger hoodie strings. While at the Blachford Lake Lodge, William and Kate interacted Aboriginal elders and young adults, highlighting their unique and innovative educational program that integrates elements of traditional Aboriginal knowledge into a university-accredited program.  Video: William & Kate at Blachford Lake.

Ending the day with a romantic few hours. After all their official functions, the Cambridges paddled to an isolated island for 3 hours alone — no bodyguards.  They feasted on local cranberries, bannock bread and Caribou steaks cooked over an open campfire in total peace and solitude. It was said to be arranged by William as a surprise for Kate. Read more here. This is the second time the couple has sneaked out for some alone time during the tour.

Up next: a visit to fire victims at Slave Lake, before a much-deserved 24-hour rest.

A gift of Diamonds. William & Kate were presented with some truly priceless gems — diamonds. William was given cufflinks of platinum and pave-set diamonds. Kate was given a brooch. Both are in a polar bear design that is the emblem of the Northwest Territories.

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