Prince Edward, Sophie wrap up 3½-hour visit to Winnipeg
Couple toured Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada and Deer Lodge Centre
Some Manitobans caught a glimpse of Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, and in some cases even came face-to-face with the royal couple during their brief visit to Winnipeg on Wednesday.
The couple, also known as the Earl and Countess of Wessex, checked out the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada and Deer Lodge Centre during their 3½-hour stop in the Manitoba capital.
In the afternoon, 54 Manitobans had an opportunity to meet Edward as he awarded them the highest honour in the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award program.
There are more than 2,100 Manitobans age 14 to 24 taking part in the program, which promotes community service, skills development, adventure and fitness. It was founded by Edward's father, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Edward presented the gold-level awards, which require the highest level of commitment from participants.
"I'm sure there were probably moments when you were doing it you were wondering why you were doing it; if it was anything like mine, it was probably about halfway through the adventurous journey," he said as the audience laughed.
"However, it is a fantastic feeling when you get to the end, and I hope that you can enjoy that."
While Edward presided over the awards ceremony, Sophie was greeted by royal watchers of all ages as she toured Deer Lodge Centre on Portage Avenue.
The countess met veterans, residents and staff at Deer Lodge, a rehabilitation centre and personal care home founded for returning First World War veterans. It is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month.
Among those who waited outside the centre to see Sophie was Lena Bradshaw, 3, who presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
Toured aviation museum
Edward and Sophie's jet landed at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada around 11:30 a.m. CT. They were greeted on the tarmac by Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon, Premier Brian Pallister and his wife, Esther, and other officials and RCMP members.
They then embarked on a tour of the museum, looking at vintage airplanes. They appeared to take particular interest in an experimental flying saucer, funded by the United States air force in the 1950s, that was discontinued due to stability problems.
The tour was followed by a private work lunch with Filmon and the Pallisters. Officials said the meal would be a casual event, with the menu featuring food from Manitoba.
This was Prince Edward's 38th visit to Canada. It was Sophie's first visit to Manitoba.
Prince Edward, 52, is Prince Charles' youngest brother and ninth in line to the throne, behind Charles, his children and his grandchildren, and middle brother Prince Andrew and his children.
The couple's next stop is Regina, where they are attending the Globe Theatre's 50th Anniversary Gala at the Conexus Arts Centre on Wednesday evening.
Corrections
- A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Prince Edward was on his 38th visit to Manitoba. In fact, it was his 38th visit to Canada.Jun 22, 2016 5:24 PM EDT
With files from Katerina Georgieva and The Canadian Press