![Canada Ottawa William Kate 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Canada_Ottawa_William_Kate_2011.jpg)
The 2011 royal tour of Canada by
Prince William
William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was educa ...
, and
Catherine
Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.
In the early Christ ...
, the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, took place between 30 June and 8 July 2011. The tour saw the newlywed couple visit all of
Canada's regions. It was the first such tour undertaken by the Duke and Duchess since their marriage two months prior,
and the first duties the couple carried out as members of the
Canadian Royal Family
The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the founda ...
. The tour was followed by more than 1,300 accredited media. It included the first use of
the Duke of Cambridge's royal standard for Canada, the first Canadian citizenship ceremony attended by royalty,
Canada Day ceremonies attended by approximately 800,000 people, and many smaller events across the country.
Background
The tour fell on the 225th anniversary of the first royal visit to Canada, by then Prince William (later
King William IV
William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...
), as part of a naval contingent.
The tour was organised by
Kevin S. MacLeod
Kevin Stewart MacLeod (born 1951) is a former Canadian Secretary to the Queen of Canada, former Usher of the Black Rod for the Canadian Senate, and the author of the historical fiction novel, ''A Stone on Their Cairn / Clach air An Càrn''.
Bo ...
,
Canadian Secretary to the Queen
The Canadian Secretary to the King (french: Secrétaire canadien du Roi) is the senior operational member of the royal household for the King of Canada, Charles III. The secretary is the principal channel of communication between the monarch and h ...
, who has organised every royal visit to Canada since 1987.
Tour organization took only three months instead of the usual 12.
The couple travelled with a pared-down entourage of seven,
including British police that have no jurisdiction in Canada.
MacLeod let them make the tour much less formal than some previous.
[Security for the royals]
, CBC-TV segment, 28 June 2011. The inclusion of
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
, at the apparent request of Catherine, stands in contrast to previous tours. The 1983 tour of Canada by Prince Charles and newly-wed Diana reflected his interests, as well as Canadian priorities, but none of Diana's own interests.
[ www.royalhistorian.com]
1,300 journalists were accredited for this tour, including 241 foreign ones.
The tour included a chartered plane to PEI.
British news outlet
ITN filmed a documentary on the tour.
Tour
The royal tour took place from 30 June to 8 July 2011.
During the tour, Catherine had made a point of wearing Canadian fashion designers at various points throughout the trip. Departing from Britain, she wore a navy blue blazer by Toronto-based Smythe les Vestes,
[; note that the blazer was sold out from many outlets the day of.] On arrival, her outfit was by Montreal designer
Erdem Moralioglu.
Even when wearing foreign designers, as on Canada Day, the white-dress outfit had domestic influences such a red hat with fabric maple leaves, and Queen Elizabeth II's maple leaf brooch first worn during her 1951 tour of Canada.
CBS News royal contributor Victoria Arbiter suggested Catherine might wear 40 outfits on the trip.
Ontario and Quebec
National Capital Region
![Duchess of Cambridge in Canada 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Duchess_of_Cambridge_in_Canada_2011.png)
On Thursday, 30 June, the couple departed Britain for Canada, travelling on a Canadian military plane.
Upon landing at
Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Macdonald-Cartier may refer to:
* Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, in southern Ontario, also known as Highway 401
* Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, a bridge between Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec
*Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport
Otta ...
on Thursday, 30 June, the cockpit showed the
Duke of Cambridge's Personal Canadian Flag; the newly adopted flag was previewed only the day before by Canadian federal government officials. Among the dignitaries greeting the couple were
John Baird, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs,
David McGuinty,
Ottawa South
Ottawa South (french: Ottawa-Sud) is a federal electoral district in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is represented in the House of Commons of Canada by David McGuinty, brother of former Premier of Ontario and Ottawa South MPP Dalton McGuinty ...
MP, William JS Elliott, Commissioner of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
, and
Jim Watson,
Mayor of Ottawa
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
.
The couple proceeded to a wreath laying at the
Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, at the
Canadian National War Memorial, their first public event as a couple since the wedding. After meeting with veterans, their first walkabout as a couple was considered unhurried, as they were 10 minutes late for their next appearance.
The Duke and Duchess then headed to
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main b ...
, residence of the
Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...
, for their official Welcome to Canada and Ottawa Ceremony by Governor General
David Johnston
David Lloyd Johnston (born June 28, 1941) is a Canadian academic, author, and statesman who served from 2010 to 2017 as Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation. He is the commissioner of the Leaders' Debates Commis ...
; attendance turnout was around 6,000 people, double the turnout of people at the War Memorial.
The Duke inspected the Guard of Honour, including
the Army,
the Air Force and
the Navy. The Royal Salute, composed by
Edward VIII, played on bagpipes. The event was followed with a Celebration of Youth Barbecue Reception at Rideau Hall.
![Canada Ottawa William Kate 2011 (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Canada_Ottawa_William_Kate_2011_%282%29.jpg)
On
Canada Day, 1 July, on what would have been
Diana, Princess of Wales' 50th birthday, the couple attended a citizenship ceremony at the
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of History (french: Musée canadien de l’histoire) is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of C ...
; this was the first time that members of the Royal Family participated in a Canadian citizenship ceremony.
Pipe Major of The Sons of Scotland played as they entered the ceremony to a tune which was "St. Andrews Courtship", a work by Pipe Major Bethany Bisaillion, created for them. The event attracted protesters who strummed guitars and wave placards outside event, in protest of mandatory pledging allegiance to the Queen.
This was followed by the Canada Day
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...
Noon Show, a public event, arriving in the State Landau.
Performers included the
Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts (born October 2, 1974) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has released seven
albums. His debut EP '' The Inhuman Condition'', reached the Canadian charts in 2002. He and his bandmates have released three albums as Sam Roberts a ...
,
Great Big Sea,
Corb Lund
Corb Lund is a Canadian country and western singer-songwriter from Taber, Alberta, Canada. He has released eleven albums, three of which are certified gold. Lund tours regularly in Canada, the United States and Australia, and has received several ...
, and
Maria Aragon.
The show was broadcast on
CBC Television and radio in English and French. The couple returned in the evening for additional performances, and fireworks;
this was considered a significant security risk.
The couple began 2 July at the
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum (french: link=no, Musée canadien de la guerre; CWM) is a national museum on the country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military history, in ad ...
, unveiling the mural "
The Canadians Opposite Lens" by
Augustus John
Augustus Edwin John (4 January 1878 – 31 October 1961) was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. For a time he was considered the most important artist at work in Britain: Virginia Woolf remarked that by 1908 the era of John Singer Sarge ...
. From there, the couple proceeded to
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...
's
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
Quebec
Outside their first stop,
Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, Reseau de Resistance du Québécois (RRQ) protesters' bilingual placards called the couple "parasites". Onlookers and well-wishers outnumbered the protesters "10 to 1", according to media reports. The RRQ had hired 40 security guards to keep their protesters in check.
Entering the hospital swiftly,
the Duke and Duchess were at the hospital to meet with patients and their families.
The couple received cooking classes at l'Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec. The Mouvement pacifique pour l'indépendence du Québec was planning to protest the visit by dressing in peasant costumes, outside the institute.
![Sécurité-prince](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/S%C3%A9curit%C3%A9-prince.jpg)
The couple departed from Montreal for Quebec City at 9:55 pm, on
HMCS ''Montréal''.
After saying Morning Prayer with the crew of HMCS ''Montréal'', the ship docked at
Quebec City, Quebec
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is the ...
. Crowds gathered on the boardwalk to
Chateau Frontenac, and along to the
Plains of Abraham
The Plains of Abraham (french: Plaines d'Abraham) is a historic area within the Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Quebec, anada. It was established on 17 March 1908. The land is the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which took plac ...
.
The couple will tour ''la
Maison Dauphine'', an organization which serves street youth, where they will have a private talk with a small group, to here the youth's stories.
The first public event of the day was just after noon, a Freedom of the City Ceremony at
Quebec City Hall (''Hôtel de ville de Québec''). William's speech, delivered entirely in French, included "You, the Québécois and Québécoise, have such vitality and vigour. It is simply a pleasure to be here."
Sovereigntist group
Réseau de Résistance du Québécois expected 300 protesters for their demonstration outside City Hall;
media reported about 200 showed up.
Protesters noted that they did have a plane flyover city hall with a separatist banner.
The next public event is a community celebration in
Lévis, Quebec
Lévis () is a city in eastern Quebec, Canada, located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec City. A ferry links Old Quebec with Old Lévis, and two bridges, the Quebec and the Pierre-Laporte, connect western Lévis wit ...
, touring
Fort Numéro Un de Lévis.
From there, they went to
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for the evening.
The royal couple arrived in Montreal in the evening and attended a cooking class with students at the Institut de Tourisme et d'Hotellerie du Québec. Jean Charest, the premier of Quebec, and his wife accompanied the couple in the class. The two couples had supper together after the short workshop. Upon their arrival at the Institut, the couple was greeted by approximately 500 fans and protesters.
Prince Edward Island
![Royal Visit, Charlottetown, PEI, July 4, 2011 (5901979442)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Royal_Visit%2C_Charlottetown%2C_PEI%2C_July_4%2C_2011_%285901979442%29.jpg)
After visiting
Province House, PEI's provincial legislature at Charlottetown, the couple learned of Canadian military accomplishments in
Prince Edward Island National Park
Prince Edward Island National Park (french: Parc national de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard) is a National Park of Canada located in the province of Prince Edward Island. Situated along the island's north shore, fronting the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the ...
, before William took part in "a training session for the 'waterbird' emergency landing procedure in a
Sea King helicopter at
Dalvay-by-the-Sea." The day was rainy. At the hotel, a
National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
, the couple was welcomed to PEI by a traditional Miqmah smudging ceremony, and sampled several kinds of local foods.
Aboriginal,
Acadian and
Celtic cultural and culinary traditions. The couple challenged each other to a
dragon boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. These were made of teak, but in other parts of China, different kinds of wood are used. It is one of a family ...
race.
William's team won by half a length. Then on Dalvay Beach the couple chatted with beach volleyball players, sand castle builders and baked-lobster chefs. The final public event of the day was in
Summerside, where the couple watched a Search and Rescue exercise at Summerside Harbour with the
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; french: links=no, Garde côtière canadienne, GCC) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues ...
.
The couple then flew to
Yellowknife Airport
Yellowknife Airport is located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. The airport is part of the National Airports System, and is operated by the Government of the Northwest Territories. The airport has regular scheduled passenger servi ...
,
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the o ...
arriving in the early evening.
Local actors playing characters
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel '' Anne of Green Gables'' by L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic book series, which revolve around her life and family in 19th and 20th-century Prince Ed ...
and Matthew Cuthbert (
Tess Benger and
Kris Tusler) in ''
Anne of Green Gables: The Musical'' appeared as guests.
The province was Catherine's choice for the tour.
Northwest Territories
![Airbus CC-150 Polaris at Yellowknife Airport](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Airbus_CC-150_Polaris_at_Yellowknife_Airport.jpg)
At 11:40 am, Tuesday, 5 July, the couple participated in a public event, an Official Arrival to the
Northwest Territories. William and Catherine arrived at Somba K'e Civic Plaza to take part in Aboriginal traditions and activities, including traditional drumming, dancing and sports. The ceremony was to highlight the historic and continuing cooperation between the Northwest Territories' Aboriginal peoples and residents of other cultures. The Duke's speech included the phrase "thank you" in both the
Na-Dene
Na-Dene (; also Nadene, Na-Dené, Athabaskan–Eyak–Tlingit, Tlina–Dene) is a family of Native American languages that includes at least the Athabaskan languages, Eyak, and Tlingit languages. Haida was formerly included, but is now considered ...
and
Inuvialuktun languages. In a street hockey game, Prince William took three shots on goal, but the young goaltender kept him from scoring.
A session of the Youth Parliament at the
Legislative Assembly was followed by a visit to
Blachford Lake
Blachford Lake is a remote lake in Northern Canada, near Yellowknife. The lake is and sits on precambrian rock. The lake is located at 62 09.97'N, 112 40.96' W and is to the north of the start eastern arm of the Great Slave Lake. It is home of t ...
, which included the
First Canadian Ranger Patrol Group and
Dechinta: Bush University Centre for Research and Learning.
Alberta
The original public schedule for Wednesday, 6 July was listed as a day off for the royal couple. The unannounced stop was made in
Slave Lake
Slave Lake is a town in northern Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No. 124. It is approximately northwest of Edmonton. It is located on the southeast shore of Lesser Slave Lake at the junction o ...
, Alberta, where the royal couple toured the town that was partially destroyed by a
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...
in May. Arriving at the town's airport, the couple met with Alberta Premier
Ed Stelmach
Edward Michael Stelmach (; born May 11, 1951) is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th premier of Alberta, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and fluently speaks ...
and the Mayor of Slave Lake,
Karina Pillay-Kinnee. They met with emergency services personnel from the fire department, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
and the medical response team at Northern Lakes College. At the gym of
Northern Lakes College
Northern Lakes College is a publicly funded comprehensive community college in northern Alberta, Canada.
Administrative offices are located in Slave Lake and Grouard, Alberta, with a staff of more than 275 working in more than 25 community campuse ...
, the couple met with some of the families affected by the fire. The town was in the midst of dealing with flooding of Sawridge Creek. At 1:30 pm, they went back to the Slave Lake Airport and continued on their way to Calgary. They spent the night at the private
Skoki Ski Lodge
The Skoki Ski Lodge National Historic Site of Canada was built in 1930-31 in the Skoki Valley of Canada's Banff National Park. Built by local members of the Ski Club of the Canadian Rockies, the lodge was the first commercial building built sp ...
, a National Historic Site near
Lake Louise, within the
Rocky Mountain
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
-area
Banff National Park. Much of the press coverage for this part of the tour discussed the remoteness of the site, which includes only outhouses. No official comment was made on whether it was retrofitted, at least temporarily.
Arriving in Calgary in the afternoon, at
Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport , branded as YYC Calgary International Airport, is an international airport that serves the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately northeast of downtown and covers an area of 20.82 squa ...
, the Duke and Duchess were presented with the usual headgear in the White Hat Ceremony, but didn't wear them. They toured the
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...
Ward of the 21st Century Research and Innovation Centre (W21C), and attended an evening Government of Canada reception at the
BMO Stampede Park
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and featu ...
. The latter included the creation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's
Parks Canada Youth Ambassadors Program. The city gave free wristbands to public events, to lessen the volume of people.
The first event of the Friday, 8 July, the day for the couple was to launch the
Calgary Stampede Parade at
Bow Valley College
Bow Valley College is a public, board-governed college operating as a comprehensive community institution under the Post-Secondary Learning Act of Alberta. The branch campuses are: Airdrie, Banff, Canmore, Cochrane, High River, Okotoks, and S ...
. The parade is run by the same organization as the top-level rodeo event itself. The parade attracted a record crowd of 425,000 people.
The Vancouver Humane Society, the League Against Cruel Sports, and Fight Against Animal Cruelty had all asked that the royal couple not visit the Stampede, deeming it animal cruelty;
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; , stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. PETA reports that PETA entities hav ...
(PETA) suggested that they were approaching a "hotbed of controversy". If they don't cancel the event, PETA called on locals to protest at the event.
The stampede has often attracted animal rights activists, on years without special guests.
A horse died of a leg injury in the Stampede's first night, in spite of an "extensive overhaul to its animal care standards".
Barred from attending the 2010 Stampede parade, attempts to block street preacher Art Pawlowski were unsuccessful. He planned to have his group march following the parade proper, or set up a protest. There were no reports on whether he followed through.
Later events included a reception at the ENMAX Conservatory,
Calgary Zoo
The Calgary Zoo is located in Bridgeland, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, just east of the city's downtown and adjacent to the Inglewood and East Village neighborhoods. It is accessible via Calgary's C-Train light rail system, by car via Memorial ...
, hosted by the Alberta Government, and a public Official Departure Ceremony.
Finally, after a nine-day Canadian tour that "far exceeded" expectations, according to Prince William, and was by all accounts a huge success, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge boarded a
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
aircraft, and departed the Realm, their last stop in North America being a visit to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
Post-tour
![The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Sony Pictures Studios](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/The_Duke_and_Duchess_of_Cambridge_at_the_Sony_Pictures_Studios.jpg)
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge departed Canada on 8 July, aboard a
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...
jet bound for
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, US. Upon arrival in the Californian city they were greeted by Canadian Consul General David Fransen,
California Governor
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of ...
and
Los Angeles Mayor
The mayor of the City of Los Angeles is the official head and chief executive officer of Los Angeles. The officeholder is elected for a four-year term and is limited to serving no more than two terms. (Under the Constitution of California, all j ...
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa (; né Villar Jr.; born January 23, 1953) is an American politician who served as the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Villaraigosa was a national co-chairman of Hillar ...
. Being greeted by the Canadian Consul-General first, Prince William had, according to the CBC, departed as a ''prince of Canada'' rather than a foreign prince. On 9 July, the couple attended the inaugural
BAFTA Brits to Watch event at the downtown
Belasco Theater
The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theater at 111 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Originally known as the Stuyvesant Theatre, it was built in 1907 and ...
.
Reception
A poll conducted before the tour showed 54% of those between 18 and 34 who were polled were indifferent to the tour.
Public events during the tour drew big crowds. On Canada Day at Parliament Hill, attendance was 300,000 in the morning,
and a half-million in the evening. The National Capital Commission had speculated half a million would show up at the morning event.
The Canadian tour become a subject of controversy, as the Royal couple planned to attend the annual
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and featu ...
, an event that features steer busting and
calf roping and is condemned by animal welfare experts. The rodeo was banned in the United Kingdom in 1934. Animal Rights groups from Britain and Canada have written to
Clarence House
Clarence House is a royal residence on The Mall in the City of Westminster, London. It was built in 1825–1827, adjacent to St James's Palace, for the Duke of Clarence, the future king William IV.
Over the years, it has undergone much exten ...
urging the couple not to attend the event.
The tour attracted small crowds and protests in the province of Quebec. Quebec MNA
Amir Khadir
Amir Khadir ( fa, امیر خدیر; born June 12, 1961) is a Canadian politician in the National Assembly of Quebec (MNA), Canada for the electoral district of Mercier, and the first male spokesperson for Québec solidaire, a sovereigntist and ...
, a leader of the leftist party
Québec solidaire
Québec solidaire (QS; ) is a democratic socialist and sovereigntist political party in Quebec, Canada. The party and media outlets in Canada usually use the name "Québec solidaire" in both French and English, but the party's name is sometimes ...
, referred to the royal couple as "parasites" ahead of the visit, calling the tour "a waste of public funds". In
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
they were met by approximately 500 supporters and 100 protesters and in
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...
they were met by several hundred supporters and about 200 protesters, some wearing black and waving flags.
"Prince William, Kate undeterred by Quebec protests"
Associated Press, 3 July 2011
See also
* Royal tours of Canada
Royal tours of Canada by the Canadian royal family have been taking place since 1786, and continue into the 21st century, either as an official tour, a working tour, a vacation, or a period of military service by a member of the royal family. ...
* List of royal tours of Canada (18th–20th centuries)
* List of royal tours of Canada (21st century)
* 2002 royal tour of Canada
The 2002 royal tour of Canada by Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, and her consort Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, took place from 4 to 15 October 2002. The Queen and the Duke toured the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, New Brunswick, Mani ...
* 2022 royal tour of Canada
The 2022 royal tour of Canada by Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, took place from 17 to 19 May 2022, as part of the Canadian celebrations of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. During the three-day tour, the couple visited co ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:2011 royal tour of Canada
Catherine, Princess of Wales
Monarchy in Canada
William, Prince of Wales
Royal tours of Canada
Royal tour
A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...
Royal tour
A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...
Royal tour
A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...