Prince William and Kate began their first official trip abroad Thursday laying a wreath at Canada’s National War Memorial as excited onlookers screamed with delight and showered the young royals with flowers and gifts.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are formally known, stepped off a Canadian military plane into bright sunshine at Ottawa’s international airport and shook hands on the tarmac with Foreign Minister John Baird and other officials. They then headed straight to the memorial.
There, they were met by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and greeted by screaming crowds lining the barricades. The couple walked up to the memorial and stood side by side before each laid a wreath.
The couple walked over to the barricades and shook hands with excited onlookers, who appeared to hand them flowers and other gifts.
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, secretary to the duke and duchess, said the couple were keen for this visit to the memorial to be their very first stop, particularly as Canada’s combat role in Afghanistan is drawing to an end.
Later, the royals were scheduled to attend an official welcome followed by a barbecue for young people
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