Will and Kate’s royal tour highlights

Highlights from Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 12-day tour of Canada and California:

Day 1 – Winning words: Prince William makes a brief speech in English and slightly shaky French, saying he and Kate are "delighted" to be in Canada. He jokes about his French, saying: "It will improve as we go on."

Day 2 – Carriage and marriage: The royal couple recreate some of the magic of the wedding by riding to Ottawa’s Parliament Hill in a horse-drawn carriage. There is raucous applause from the crowd that lines the route.

Day 3 – Getting her hands dirty: Kate swaps her dress for chef’s whites as the royal couple took part in a cooking workshop in Montreal. The Duchess of Cambridge steered clear of the chef’s hat, but her uniform had "Cambridge" sewn into it.

Day 4 – Court jester: The Duke and Duchess met a heavily tattooed man with a green mohawk on a visit to a youth shelter in Quebec City. They watch a series of juggling and magic acts.

Day 5 – Competitive couple: The Duchess of Cambridge was widely expected to thrash her husband in a dragon-boat race, seeing as she has a long history with the ancient Chinese sport. In the end he wins narrowly, telling his wife: "There is no chivalry in sport."

Day 6 – Shooting back: Prince William takes part in a street-hockey penalty shootout. The second-in-line to the throne isn’t very good and fails to score even once, but he does manage to hit a photographer, to the amusement of all.

Day 7 – Morale boost: On what was billed as a day off, the royals visit Slave Lake, Alta., a town ravaged by forest fire two months previously. They meet emergency personnel and visit some of the burned-out areas.

Day 8 – Royal rodeo: The royal couple swaps crowns for cowboy hats as they take part in the opening of the Calgary Rodeo. Asked if he’s enjoying the headgear, an understated Prince William replies: "This is different."

Day 9 – Familiar faces: William and Kate become the biggest celebrities as they arrive in Los Angeles. They are greeted at a reception by Stephen Fry, David Beckham and a host of other British expats.

Day 10 – Sporting: Prince William teaches the locals a thing or two about polo as he scores four times during a charity polo match. He is presented with the winning trophy by his wife.

Click here to view photos of memorable moments during Will and Kate’s Royal Visit in Canada.