Prince William, a Royal Air Force search and rescue pilot, will join his Canadian counterparts in piloting a Sea King helicopter during his first visit to Canada as a newlywed.
The royal tour kicks off when the couple’s plane lands in Ottawa, at 2 p.m. on June 30.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, then be officially welcomed to Canada by the Governor General at Rideau Hall.
Then, on Canada Day, the couple will attend a citizenship ceremony before joining the festivities on Parliament Hill at noon. The day will feature a concert and CF-18 flypast.
On July 2 the couple will plant a tree at Rideau Hall before meeting with veterans at the Canadian War Museum.
Then, on to Montreal, where they’ll tour a pediatric centre and show off their domestic skills cooking with students from the Institut de tourisme et d’hotellerie du Quebec.
That evening they depart for Quebec City on HMCS Montreal.
On July 3 the couple will arrive in Quebec, meet with veterans and street youth, before attending two public events at Quebec city hall and Levis. They then fly to Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Their arrival in the province is officially marked the following morning, with a celebration at Province House.
The prince will then demonstrate his piloting skills at Dalvay-by-the-Sea, by participating in the "waterbird" emergency landing procedure.
The newlyweds will also be pitted against each other in dragon boat races there, before taking in a search-and-rescue demonstration at Summerside.
That evening they leave for Yellowknife, where they will take in a First Nations prayed drum song, meet Canadian Rangers on July 5.
The duke and duchess will wind up their Canadian visit in Calgary, where they’ll take part in a White Hat Ceremony – the Stampede equivalent of offering the keys to the city by outfitting visitors with white cowboy hats.
"As they embark on this royal tour, they will have the unequal opportunity to visit communities across our wonderful country," Gov. Gen. David Johnston said outside Rideau Hall Tuesday, in announcing the details of the visit.
James Moore, minister of Canadian heritage, said that the itinerary for the tour has been set based on the requests from William and Kate.
Moore was also asked about potential dissent to the monarchy in Quebec and whether that could disrupt the visit. Moore said he didn’t expect the public events to be disrupted.
"I have no reason to expect anything less," Moore said.
The cost of the tour would be less than half of the approximately $2.5 million spent on the Queen’s most recent tour of Canada, Moore said.
The world’s most famous newlyweds will be in Ottawa from June 30 to July 2, joining July 1 festivities on Parliament Hill, before stopping in Montreal on July 2 and Quebec City on July 3 on their way to Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I. They’ll head north to Yellowknife from July 4 to 6 and wind up their Canadian visit in Calgary from July 6 to 8, taking in the opening of the city’s annual western-themed festival.
As William and Catherine undertake their first overseas tour as a married couple, global interest is expected to be massive, mirroring the star power of William’s parents on their first visit to Canada in 1983.
Already, at least 85 British journalists are registered to cover the tour, while just 18 accompanied Queen Elizabeth last summer, and dozens more Canadian, U.S. and international media are expected to follow the young royals on their Canadian adventures.
Check out the tour’s full itinerary here.
sproudfoot (at) postmedia.com
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