Royal couple welcomed to Calgary
Posted Jul 7, 2011 11:48 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Duke and Duchess finally landed in Calgary just before 5 p.m. local time as part of the last leg of their Canadian tour.
Prince William and his wife Kate touched down at YYC almost 30 minutes behind schedule in their military helicopter during a hot, windy afternoon and were greeted by Mayor Nenshi who welcomed them with the traditional White Hat Ceremony.
They didn’t put them on, with speculation likely that it was far too windy. As it was, Kate was having a tough time keeping her skirt and hair in check trying to deal with the gusts.
The most touching moment and one that’s sure to linger for many years to come, is when Katherine embraced 6-year-old cancer patient Diamond Marshall, an honorary member of the receiving line.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation granted the youngster’s wish to meet Kate, after the child wrote the Duchess a special letter.
The Royal Couple visited the University of Calgary’s 21st Century (W21C) Research and Innovation Centre.and were greeted by a large crowd of fans.
Afterward, with the wind dying down, the Royal Couple changed into cowboy casual complete with their white cowboy hats for the special welcome at the BMO Centre hosted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
They arrived at the Stampede Grounds by horse and carriage to a true down-home Calgary Stampede welcome, complete with a chuckwagon tutorial from Kelly Sutherland.
The next chance to see the Duke and Duchess will be at Friday morning’s Stampede Parade.
Here is a complete list of the Royal itinerary.
Thursday:
7:25 p.m. — Government of Canada Reception at BMO Centre. Prince William will give an address at the event.
Friday:
8:30 a.m.. — William and Kate start procession down the parade route (in reverse) starting at City Hall
8:50 a.m. — The Royal Couple launches the Calgary Stampede Parade
11:30 a.m. — Reception hosted by the Alberta Government at the Calgary Zoo
12:45 p.m. — Official Departure Ceremony from Canada and Alberta – Rotary Challenger Park
1:40 p.m.– William and Kate leave Calgary for Los Angeles
