Prince George likes pasta, pizza and tractors and Kate watches hit kids’ movie Frozen with her children, The Weekly learned today as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chatted openly at the first engagement of their final day in Canada.
The couple met residents and beneficiaries of the Cridge Centre in Victoria, British Columbia’s oldest not-for-profit society, providing a range of services, including childcare, youth outreach, and support for women who have experienced domestic violence.
They arrived just after 10am local time. Kate was embracing high street style today in a fitted white Zara blazer, teamed with her now favourite Zara skinny black jeans – this is the third time the Duchess has chosen to wear Zara jeans on this tour – and J. Crew plaid shoes; while William was wearing dark blue chinos with a matching jacket and a white shirt with no tie.
The couple was greeted by a welcome line up of Premier of BC Christy Clark, lieutenant Governor of BC Judith Guichon, Cridge Centre’s CEO Shelley Morris and President Val Fuller. The Premier asked them about their fishing trip yesterday in Haida Gwaii and the pre-caught fish Kate had picked up since the photo of the Duchess holding the shiny salmon was splashed across the Canadian papers this morning. “We didn’t catch anything!” William explained, laughing.
“It’s typical whenever we go anywhere all the best laid plans go to pot,” he joked. “That salmon (the one Kate was holding) was the biggest fish I’ve seen! It was a great day.”
Inside the royals met with a number of people young and old who have benefited from the centre’s schemes which include women’s and family services, senior services, brain injury treatment programs and a young parent outreach programme.
The Duchess chatted with 20-year-old Zola Auld from Victoria and her mother Anne Auld. “Kate asked me what I like to do and I told her cooking” said Zola. “She asked me what and I said Italian like pizza and pasta and she said ‘George loves that’.”
Mrs Auld said the centre has provided invaluable support to them as a family adding “it’s been a dream come true meeting the Duchess.”
Kate and William proceeded outside to unveil the Overcomer’s Monument, a newly commissioned sculpture dedicated to people who have overcome difficult circumstances. Three hundred clients, residents and beneficiaries of the programme had gathered to greet the couple and watch the unveiling.
In one of a few walkabouts the couple has carried out on this tour Kate and William met around 100 children and their parents, among them seven-year-old Netusha Danister, and her mother Amalee from Victoria. Netusha who was dressed as a princess from hit movie Frozen, managed to shake the Duchess’s hand. “She asked me: ‘Are you a princess?’ And I said yes.
The she asked me about Frozen and said ‘what’s your favourite character?’ And I said ‘Elsa’ and she liked that.'” The Duchess was clearly totally au fait with the blockbuster kids’ movie.
Another child in the crowd had a cast and chatted to William who shared that George liked tractors.
William and Kate were given mini personalised ‘Canucks’ Vancouver hockey team jerseys from BC Premier Christy Clark. “Wow thank you” said William looking genuinely chuffed.
The Duke and Duchess left waving to the crowd for their next engagement at Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre. This is one of British Columbia’s leading mental health charities and uses digital and community-based tools to take mental health services and information to families throughout the province. William and Kate sat down and had tea at several tables to chat to youth ambassadors and families who have used Kelty’s online resources.
They met with Andrea Vukobrat, 25, a youth peer support worker for Kelty who started having panic attacks aged five and was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at 18. She oversees Kelty’s Mindcheck website which helps support young people with mental health issues. She told William and Kate: “Being part of Kelty gave me knowledge I needed to support other young people that I could have used when I was struggling.”
“I still think that initial stigma and taboo around mental health is what stops some young people talking to their parents,” Kate replied. “They don’t want to burden their parents and that’s the underlying issue which is hard to break through. We’ve heard so much about how early in their lives young children register trauma and how much later in their lives it comes out.”
Listening to Andrea’s story about how it took years for her anxiety and depression to be diagnosed, William said: “So many people’s natural reaction is to close down, talking things through is crucial.”
Mental health is a key issue for Kate and William who are doing everything they can to raise awareness.
The final event of the morning saw Kate and William board a tall-ship by the Sail and Life Training Society, a charity that uses the power of sailing to give young people skills and direction in their lives. On board were a group of young people who are part of JACK.org – a national network of youth who are working to end stigma around mental health for their generation.
Once on board Prince William laughed his head off when he met a sailor with a magnificent “full set” beard. “That is the most amazing specimen I have ever seen” William told bosun Steve Atkinson. “Seriously that is incredible, it must have taken you ages but you must be very proud. I’m very jealous”
Moments earlier Kate had met Steve and said: “Wow! Whiskers!”
The couple was shown the ropes by crew members of the ship, Pacific Grace, a wooden-hulled gaff-rigged schooner. William and Kate watched as the sails were raised for the short journey from Ogden Point and helped steer the ship back into Victoria harbour.
As tall ship Pacific Grace hove into view, Wills and Kate were heaving on the halyards (rigging). The Pacific Grave was flying Wills’ Canadian royal standard, besides the Canadian and BC flags. Then Kate helped hoist the sail with some gusto, while William continued to heave the halyards with young people from Jacks charity. They all chanted to keep time, pulling together and a massive cheer went up when the sails were fully hoisted.
Kate wore a khaki Troy jacket and white Superga pumps. Tony Anderson, 52, from Victoria captain of the Pacific Grace spoke to the Duchess. “She said early on her gap year she enjoyed sailing on a UK boat. We talked about the similarities between that programme and the Salts programme. We asked her to take the wheel as we came into harbour. She told William to take it but he said ‘ladies first’.
“We said she could hand over to William but she didn’t want to hand it over. She was bossing it! They were right in there hoisting everything, hauling the sails. We’d heard they were both good sailors. They were both awesome. They loved Steve’s beard. Maybe Will will grow one too.”
Bearded Steve said: “The Duchess was saying that both their brothers are competing on the beard-growing front.”
Later this afternoon The Duke and Duchess will be back at the harbour to fly out with Prince George and Princess Charlotte on a sea plane and say their goodbyes to the Victorian public.
