British Royals

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William & Kate in Los Angeles (Polo & BAFTA)

Jul 11

Posted by britishroyals in Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge | No Comments

Previous days in LA: Day 1

Day 2: 9 July 2011
Los Angeles, California

Undoubtedly the most glitzy day of the entire North American tour, as William & Kate do polo and the red carpet…

Charity polo at Carpenteria near Santa Barbara.

This day definitely got a lot of hype from the media, with tickets ranging from $400-$4,000, celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis making lunch, and players paying up to $60,000 just to play alongside Prince William. Celebrity guests who turned up include Jennifer Love Hewitt, Joe Jonas, Zoe Saldana, Molly Sims, Samantha Harris, Rosario Dawson, BIlly Zane and Scott Keogh.  Proceeds go to charity.

William & Kate arrived from LA by helicopter. Kate looked as fresh as a daisy in a hand-painted floral silk dress by Jenny Packham. During his speech, William joked about not being a good loser and expecting to pick the trophy later on. And he did! To the delight of the crowd, William scored 4 points, leading his team to a 5-2 victory. Was it rigged?  Other players insist it wasn’t.  And an usual treat to royal watchers: William planting kisses on each of Kate’s cheeks as she presented him with the award.  Well played, Wills!

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Pictures: Getty Images | Rex Features

Raw video: polo & award presentation (includes trophy kiss)

 

BAFTA “Brits to Watch” gala at the Belasco

You can’t be in LA without hobnobbing with the stars.  The event aimed to give 42 up-and-coming Brits from film, television and video games their break.  Hollywood’s biggest and brightest — including Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez and Barbra Streisand — were there.  But all eyes were on William and Kate.  The Duchess stunned in a lavender Alexander McQueen gown and earrings on loan from the Queen.  They arrived a bit late (Kate apologized to a fan during a small walkabout, saying William was busy “fixing his hair”), having been delayed from polo, but no one seemed to care.

Inside the gala, William & Kate were seen mixing with the stars for the reception.  William’s speech took a leaf from The King’s Speech.  “I have a voice,” he started to much laughter. For dinner, they were sat in a table with Nicole Kidman and Barbra Streisand, who both made the first move of extending their hands across the table after seeing the royal couple engrossed in their own little conversation.

Praises all around from celebrities and fashionistas, who seemed starstruck by the royal couple.  Jason Bateman said it best: “They are the ultimate media stars. We are faking it and getting paid for it. They are the real deal.”

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Pictures: Getty Images | Rex Features

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William & Kate in Los Angeles: Day 1

Jul 9

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

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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Pictures: Getty Images | Rex Features | IB Times

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

Jul 8

Posted by britishroyals in Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge | No Comments

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

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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Pictures: Getty Images | Day Life

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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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