The Cambridges in Canada – Days 2, 3 and 4

O Canada! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Canada right on time to celebrate the nation’s national holiday, Canada Day (July 1). Spending day two of their first royal tour as a married couple in Ottawa, the Duke and Duchess attended the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill.

Firstly, the couple attended a citizenship ceremony with Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and his wife Laureen, where they watched on as two dozen individuals became Canadian citizens. Also present was the Canadian Governor-General, David Johnston, and his wife, Sharon. During the group photo taken to mark the occasion, the photographer had to ask the Duchess if she would mind stepping down on to a lower step, because she was blocking the people behind her. “It’s my hat!” Catherine exclaimed with a smile, quickly bobbing down for the snap. Then, travelling in an open-top carriage, William and Catherine participated in the public Canada Day celebrations. An estimated half a million people turned out for the parade, and to see their royal visitors. During the two-hour event, William spoke to the crowd, highlighting family ties between himself, his bride and Canada. He also passed on Queen Elizabeth II’s well-wishes on Canada Day.

For her daytime fashion, the Duchess followed in the footsteps of other royal women, wearing Canada’s national colours – red and white – while on tour. Both the Queen and the late Diana, Princess of Wales each wore red and white ensembles during their tours, and in the Queen’s case, during official Canada-related events in London. Catherine wore the white Reiss long-sleeved dress first worn in her official engagement photo, paired with a Canada-inspired red Sylvia Fletcher hat, decorated with maple leaves. Pinned to the left-hand side of her dress was the Queen’s Maple Leaf brooch, which has a long-standing history with Canada and women of the royal family – it was presented to the Queen Mother in the late 1930s by the Canadian people, and then passed down to Queen Elizabeth II, who has loaned the piece to Catherine for the tour (reports also suggest that other pieces have been loaned to the Duchess as well).

In the evening, the Duke and Duchess attended a concert at Parliament Hill, where 100,000 watched on as various music performances took place. It was also another outfit for the Duchess – her fifth – who turned up in a purple Issa dress.

Day three, and a tree-planting ceremony was in order to kick-off the day. William and Catherine, wearing a grey Catherine Walker knee-length dress, headed to Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor-General, where their Eastern Hemlock tree sapling was planted in the ‘Royal Grove’ section of the grounds. Trees planted by royalty streching back seventy years all reside in the area, while the Cambridge’s tree is located beside a Pin Oak tree planted twenty-eight years ago by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Then it was on a to a reception at the Canadian War Museum, where the couple spoke with veterans; before they boarded a plane and travelled to Montréal.

William and Catherine were greeted at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre by separitist protestors, with banners labelling the royals ‘Parasites’ and bemoaning the cost of the monarchy. The visitors did not seem phased by the gathering, as they headed inside the hospital to meet with patients in one of North America’s largest paediatric hospitals. The Duke and Duchess visited the neonatal facilities and the cancer ward. Just before dinner time, the couple arrived at the Institut de Tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, where they participated in a cooking workshop. They were joined by Quebec’s Premier, Jean Charest.

It quickly became a competition between the Duke and Mr Charest, as to who would produce the best lobster souflé. The general consensus was that William’s souflé was “best”, as Mr Charest jokingly declared that he was taking his souflé and going home. William and Catherine ended the day aboard the HMCS Montréal, heading towards Québec City.

Arriving in Québec City early in the morning of July 3rd, the Duke and Duchess took part in the warship’s worship service, speaking with the military band before disembarking to begin their day of engagements. A visit to la Maison Dauphine, a youth facility for homeless people, was on the agenda; and William and Catherine were entertained by the staff’s magic tricks (William voiced his concerns about having to perform their own though). The couple spent some time speaking with each of the staff, before heading off to the Québec City Hall, where Prince William was given the ‘Freedom of the City’.

The couple then made their way to Prince Edward Island, for day five of their Canada Tour:

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: Visit to Canada – June 30 to July 8, 2011

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Canada, Concert, Fashion, Governor-General Johnston of Canada, Hospital, National Day, Official Visit, Prime Minister Harper of Canada, The Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke of Cambridge.

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