The littlest royals will be joining their parents on their trip to Canada this month. Kensington Palace confirmed on Monday that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be accompanied by Prince George, 3, and Princess Charlotte,1, on their upcoming .
This will be the second tour of Canada for their Royal Highnesses, who last visited in 2011, but marks the first for their two young children.
The tour will be the first official trip for Princess Charlotte. Her brother travelled to Australia with their parents in 2014. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the , a Canadian federal government official said at a briefing on Monday afternoon that the adorable royals only have two confirmed public appearances during the trip.
According to the official itinerary released Monday, the Royal Family will arrive in Victoria, B.C. on Sept. 24 for their first stop of a week-long tour that will see them travel through British Columbia and the Yukon.
CTV’s royal commentator, Richard Berthelsen, told Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel on Monday that Prince George and Princess Charlotte will likely only attend a few of the events with their parents. He said there is a good chance the Duke and Duchess will bring them to the garden party at Government House on Sept. 29, where there will be children from military families for them to interact with.
“I don’t think we’re going to see as much (of the children) as people might like,†Berthelsen said. “The children will not be doing a lot of the travel.â€
With more than 30 engagements booked, the Duke and Duchess are hoping to meet thousands of Canadians along the way.
“They want to help the people of British Columbia and Yukon to celebrate what makes Canada great and to showcase some amazing places to the rest of the world,†the itinerary says.
The royal itinerary
While they are in Victoria, B.C. the Royal Family will be greeted at the airport by the Royal Canadian Air Force before making their way to Government House and British Columbia’s Parliament Buildings.
On the day of their arrival, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge will attend a ceremony at British Columbia’s Parliament Buildings, where they will unveil a plaque at Victoria’s Cenotaph honouring Canadian veterans of the Afghanistan conflict. The public will have a chance to greet the Royal Family when the official welcome ceremony gets underway soon after.
“They have received so many wonderful messages from Canadians since the birth of their children and look forward to having the chance to introduce their young family to the country,†the itinerary states.
The first full day for their Royal Highnesses will be in Vancouver on Sept. 25. They will visit a number of important Vancouver projects and organizations, including a charity in the city’s Downtown Eastside, the Immigration Services Society of British Columbia, and the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station.
On Sept. 26, the Duke and Duchess will take an aerial tour of B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest, and have the chance to explore one of the new walking trails being constructed in the area. B.C. Premier Christy Clark announced on Monday, that the rainforest has been named as Canada’s commitment to , which is a network of forest conservation initiatives launched during the Commonwealth of Nations meeting Malta last year.
Before travelling to the Yukon, the Royal Family will spend a day in Kelowna, B.C. in the Okanagan Valley. They will visit the Okanagan campus of the University of British Columbia where they will meet with students and watch a women’s volleyball game. They will also have the opportunity to sample a selection of local wine, cheese and food at the Taste of British Columbia festival at the Mission Hill Winery.
On Sept. 30, their Royal Highnesses will be able to soak in some Canadian natural scenery when they visit Whitehorse, Carcross and the Montana Mountain in the Yukon. In Whitehorse, they will tour the MacBride Museum to learn about the territory’s history and attend a local cultural street party. The Duke and Duchess will then travel the scenic Klondike Highway to the town of Carcross where they will receive a traditional welcome from the Carcross/Tagish Fist Nation. At the Montana Mountain, they will travel down a mountain bike trackto greet young people from the Single Track to Success project, which builds trails and promotes tourism,at the base.
The Royal Family heads back to British Columbia on Sept. 28 where they will go canoeing in Haida Gwaii, an archipelago on the northern coast of the province, which is home to the Haida Nation. After getting some exercise canoeing, the Duke and Duchess will officially open the new Haida Gwaii Hospital and Care Centre. A trip to Haida Gwaii wouldn’t be complete without some fishing. The royal couple will join youth from the Skidegate Youth Centre on a fishing trip on the waters of the Hectate Strate.
On Oct. 1, the final day of the tour in Victoria, B.C., the Duke and Duchess have a full itinerary that includes a trip to the Cridge Centre for the Family, which provides charitable services for childcare, youth outreach and domestic violence survivors. Later that day, the royal couple will meet with families who have been supported by the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre. They will also have a chance to show off their sailing skills aboard a tall ship, as they accompany a group of young people from , who are working to end stigma around mental health.
The Royal Family will officially end their tour with a ceremony at Victoria Harbour Airport before boarding a float plane for a short tour of the southern tip of Vancouver Island ahead of their flight home.
Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly also released the itinerary for the royal tour Monday, as well a statement about the upcoming visit.
"The work that so many of us are doing to build a better future for our children is significant. Their Royal Highnesses will highlight the many Canadians who volunteer or work in obscurity," Joly said in the statement.
"In addition, this Tour, more than any other, features important engagement with Indigenous peoples."
Berthelsen said the royal couple will be using this trip to focus on charities they are involved with, such as mental health organizations. He also said they will be highlighting children, the environment, and indigenous culture. Berthelsen said the busy itinerary will give Canadians a number of opportunities to glimpse the famous family.
“This is not your grandparents’ royal visit,†he said. “It is very outdoorsy and very informal.â€
too, in a series of tweets on Monday.
Just announced → Further details of The Duke and Duchess's tour to Canada
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal)