CHARLOTTETOWN — The implications for dishwashing duties in the royal household are uncertain, but Team William emerged victorious over Team Kate in a dragon boat battle just outside Charlottetown on Tuesday, as the royal tour took a playful turn.
From William's feats at the controls of a Sea King helicopter, to a politician's cheeky marital advice, Prince Edward Island offered a relaxed seaside playground for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and for the tens of thousands of ecstatic fans who turned out to welcome them.
"It is quite a moment for Catherine and me to be standing here in the Atlantic Canada, in front of Province House, where Canadian Federation was forged," William said in a speech before 20,000 cheering spectators outside the building where the seeds of the country were planted with the 1864 Charlottetown Conference.
"Here, in the crucible of Canadian nationhood, we look forward to meeting many of you."
Before William spoke, P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz welcomed the couple and emphasized the province's close ties with the monarchy, right down to its namesake, Prince Edward Augustus, Queen Victoria's father.
The tone in Charlottetown was markedly different than in Quebec, where fierce but peaceful anti-monarchy protests competed with the cheers of royal fans.
Indeed, just before Will and Kate emerged onto the steps of the provincial legislature, a raucous cheer went up from the crowd when a woman used her umbrella to block a sign saying, "You're not my prince," held aloft by a lone protester.
Ghiz concluded his speech by offering William some marital advice based on his own "five glorious years" of marriage to his wife, Dr. Kate Ellis Ghiz, who stood beside the duchess on stage.
"Your Royal Highness, it's very important to remember that Kates are always right," Ghiz said.
The lighthearted tone lasted into the afternoon, when island singer Meaghan Blanchard accidentally referred to William as "the dooch" while performing for the couple. As she and the royals both laughed, she insisted: "That did not happen."
In Charlottetown, fans began camping out Monday evening, including Chelsea Willis, 19, and Sarah Devoe, 20, who passed the night curled up in sleeping bags and refuelling on McDonald's and Tim Hortons coffee.
"You'll only see this once in your lifetime," said Willis, perched on a camping chair.
Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/royal-visit/Dooch+duchess+live/5045233/story.html#ixzz1RFrRIybG
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