Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be joining their parents on the upcoming royal visit to Vancouver later this month, according to a new statement from Kensington Palace.
The trip will be the one-year-old Charlotte’s first official overseas visit, with an itinerary encompassing a variety of family-friendly activities, and will take place from 25 September to 1 October.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said, 'I am very pleased to confirm that [the Cambridges] will bring their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, with them to Canada. They have received so many wonderful messages from Canadians since the birth of their children and look forward to having the chance to introduce their young family to the country.
'This is a great opportunity to introduce their children to a major realm before things like school make this difficult later on.'
Earlier this year, a source told Royal Watch that the itinerary would be very child-friendly, revealing that ‘there will be a heavy focus on nature, the outdoors and there will be at least one private day factored into the trip […] We’re hearing hiking, walking and outdoor pursuits will feature while the family is in British Columbia. There’s talk of going into the centre where there are fresh water lakes and great kayaking.’ Royal tour, or family trip to Center Parks?
The family are also due to meet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the course of the eight-day visit.
Prince William and Kate Middleton embarked upon a weeklong tour of India and Bhutan earlier this summer, but admitted to missing their two young children ‘massively’ during the trip.
‘They really can’t bear the idea of leaving Charlotte and George at home,” Royal Watch’s source added. ‘Arrangements and logistics are being made for them to travel as a family,’ which apparently includes bringing along the royal nanny Maria and taking a first class commercial flight rather than the usual private jet.
It’s not the first time that the Cambridges have visited Canada on a royal engagement. The couple toured the country shortly after their wedding in 2011, and are doubtless looking forward to returning as a family of four. In a statement, a Kensington Palace rep said, ‘The Duke and Duchess are delighted to be returning to Canada. They hold very happy memories from their visit in 2011 – their first overseas tour as a married couple. They are really looking forward to seeing other parts of this beautiful country and having the opportunity to meet many more Canadians along the way.’
We can’t wait for the photo opportunities…
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