QUEBEC CITY - The citizens of Quebec got what Montreal did not: full unfettered contact and sightlines of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their royal tour.
And they were treated to a speech by the eventual heir to the throne "tout en français," praising the "beauty" and "vitality" of Quebec and vowing to return.
Whether organizers in the capital did a better job, the police were more prepared or the secure location of the places the royals went to were the factors that counted is all debatable.
In the end, all that mattered was protesters were kept out of sight and in most cases out of earshot of the dignitaries and there was no threat of violence to William and Kate.
Quite a difference from the bum's rush the couple were given the day before in Montreal, where one photographer was certain she saw eggs lobbed at the royal convoy on the way to Ste. Justine Hospital and security became tight as a drum.
As a result of the safe and convivial atmosphere in Quebec, the attractive young couple went right up to the barricades to shake hands, take photos and speak to the star-struck crowds who whooped their approval and in some cases were still shaking minutes after their Cambridge connection.
“He said, ‘You better get down before you hurt yourself,” said Hannah Hoelscher of Rutland, Vt. She was standing on the lower rung of the metal crowd-containment barricades when William, much to her shock, came her way, surrounded by bodyguards.
“He asked where I was from and whether I drove all this way to see them, and I said of course. And then the big shocker was Kate who came by, too,” said the young American, whose hands were visibly shaking.
“This is a young and fun couple who really seem to care about everyone.”
An outdoor event at city hall at noon threatened with both bad weather and the promise of an ugly confrontation with members of an anti-monarchy group. But the deluge stopped in time and the 200 anti-monarchy protesters were kept more than a block away from the actual ceremony.
Their air horns and bagpipes were more than drowned out by the police escort that brought the convoy to the steps of city hall, where the Royals were met by Jean Charest and the mayor of Quebec City, Régis Labeaume.
Charest got huge cheers, but those were outdone when William and then Kate left the limo decorated with their specially designed insignia.
After walking up to the steps of city hall, William reviewed the assembled 2nd Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment in their red dress uniforms and with their goat mascot in tow.
Labeaume made a comment that the thousand people assembled were there for Charest and the premiere gamely laughed.
Then William addressed the crowd without a word of English, no mistakes and only a slight accent.
“À bientôt,” were his final words.
The royals were at city hall to celebrate the 403rd birthday of Quebec and The Freedom of the City ceremony that dates back to 1748, at a time when fortified or walled cities only permitted entry to armies who they knew to be friendly.
This ceremony permitted a friendly troupe with weapons and drums entry to the inside. The permission to come in was an honour but a necessity, as many armies at the time were no more than marauding gangs with little discipline.
The 22nd Regiment, known as the Van Doos (a corruption of vingt-deux), has its headquarters in the Citadelle and its regional headquarters in Quebec City.
asutherland@montrealgazette.com
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