The royal visit: Where to meet William and Kate, and maybe George and Charlotte too
The Duke and Duchess have a busy schedule packed into their 8-day trip, including 7 official public events
When Prince William and Kate arrive in Victoria on Saturday with their two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, they'll be starting a busy eight-day tour of B.C. and Yukon.
There are four official events in B.C. and three in Yukon during which the public can see William and Kate, but it will also be possible to spot them coming and going from some other scheduled events listed below.
A family affair?
The Royal Family will make Victoria's Government House their home base during the visit, and the children will remain there while William and Kate travel.
It remains unclear if the public will get a chance to see George and Charlotte — but the family's final afternoon in Victoria, which includes a ride on a tall ship before their official departure, looks perfect for a family excursion.
Official public events (all times Pacific)
- Saturday, Sept. 24 at 5:05 p.m. at the Legislature in Victoria.
- Sunday, Sept. 25 at 10:45 a.m. at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver.
- Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 12:35 at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna.
- Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 6:10 p.m. at the Whitehorse airport.
- Wednesday, Sept .28 at 10 a.m. on Main Street in Whitehorse and later at Carcross Commons.
- Saturday, Oct. 1 at 3:40 pm. for the official departure from Victoria's Inner Harbour.
The full tour itinerary is listed below.
Saturday, Sept. 24 – Victoria
William and Kate will arrive at 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, Victoria.
5:05 p.m. The royal couple make their first public appearance in front of the Legislature, where tens of thousands of royal watchers are expected welcome them with a 21-gun salute.
Three-year-old George and 16-month-old Charlotte won't be there, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau will be there, along with Premier Christy Clark.
Other events include a wreath laying at the Cenotaph, speeches — including one by William — and signing both the Government of Canada's Golden Book and B.C.'s Distinguished Visitors' Book.
Afterwards the royal couple will have a private audience with the Governor General and, later, with the prime minister and his wife back at Government House.
Sunday, Sept. 25 – Vancouver
10:45 a.m. William and Kate arrive at Vancouver's seaplane terminal downtown for a civic welcome at Jack Poole Plaza next to the Trade and Convention Centre.
Private events during the day include a visit to the Sheway charity for addicted mothers on the Downtown Eastside and to the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. with the prime minister and his wife.
They will also meet with young leaders in arts, sports, charity, business and film at the Telus Gardens building in downtown Vancouver.
3 p.m. They arrive at the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station, along with the Trudeaus, where they will meet emergency responders to talk about mental health issues.
They will then step outside for a walk on the bike path and a look at the search-and-rescue equipment before departing for Victoria.
Monday, Sept. 26 – Bella Bella and Victoria
The royal couple will travel north for an aerial tour of the Great Bear Rain Forest and a visit to the Heiltsuk community at noon, including a traditional welcome ceremony and a cultural sharing ceremony at the Bella Bella Community School.
1 p.m. They will walk to the Elders Lodge, where William will mark the dedication of the Great Bear Rainforest as part of the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy initiative.
Then they take a boat tour of McLoughlin Bay, before returning to Victoria for an evening reception at Government House hosted by the Government of B.C.
Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Victoria, Kelowna and Whitehorse
12:35 p.m. William and Kate travel to Kelowna for a public visit to UBC Okanagan to meet students and watch an exhibition volleyball match.
2:10 p.m. Some wine tasting at Mission Hill Winery.
6:10 p.m. They arrive in Whitehorse, where they will meet members of the Canadian Rangers and the public at the airport.
6:40 p.m. They watch a performance at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre.
Wednesday, Sept. 28 – Whitehorse and Carcross
9:05 a.m. The royal couple start their day with a visit to Whitehorse's MacBride Museum of Yukon History, where they join elders and youngsters for storytelling.
10 a.m. They join the public for a party on Main Street, see a totem pole dedicated to residential school survivors, meet some young people, and take in the festival attractions.
11:50 a.m. They arrive in Carcross, Yukon for a traditional welcome from the Carcross/Tagish First Nation and meet the public.
1 p.m. They visit youths building a mountain biking track at Montana Mountain before returning to Victoria later in the day.
Thursday, Sept. 29 – Victoria
This is a rest day for the family, and there are no public experiences scheduled.
But they still have one event in the morning when they will host a children's party for invited military families at Government House, followed by some private downtime in the afternoon.
Friday, Sept. 30 – Haida Gwaii
11:50 a.m. William and Kate arrive in Haida Gwaii and board a traditional canoe for a paddle from Skidegate to the Haida Heritage Centre and Museum, where they arrive at 12:15 p.m.
1:55 p.m. They will visit the new Haida Gwaii General Hospital in Queen Charlotte, where they will meet residents in the common room and join a discussion with mothers and staff in the maternity wing about maternal health.
2:40 p.m. They board a boat with youths from the Skidegate Youth Centre for a fishing trip, before heading back to Victoria later in the day.
Saturday, Oct. 1 – Victoria
The couple has two private visits with charities in the morning, including the Cridge Centre for the Family and a coffee at a downtown cafe with members of the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre.
11:45 a.m. They board the tall ship Pacific Grace at Ogden Point and sail into Victoria's Inner Harbour with members of the Sail and Life Training Society and Jack.org.
3:40 p.m. Their official public departure from Victoria Harbour seaplane terminal, followed by a private tour of the south end of the island.
