Morgan Spurlock investigates: why will.i.am makes music (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – Hulu's new foray into original content, Morgan Spurlock's series "A Day in the Life," follows an influential person for 24 hours and boils his or her day down to 22 minutes. So it's not surprising that the latest edition captures will.i.am's reason for being in mere seconds.

The Black Eyed Peas frontman explains why he does what he does -- besides the millions of dollars -- in a backseat interview for the show.

Watch, at the link below, to learn, finally, what force inspired "I Gotta Feeling": http://www.thewrap.com/music/article/bruno-mars-sues-his-publisher-30591

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Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am stumping for science (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Will.i.am, science teacher?

With flashing lights, electric dance breakdowns and even some of his own robot-esque moves, the Black Eyed Peas singer is no stranger to the intersection of art and science.

Now, in his latest project, he's has teamed up with Segway inventor Dean Kamen's FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) program, to take his new message to kids.

Based on an international youth K-12 robotics competition of 30,000 educators, students and parents in St. Louis, Missouri, in April -- which will.i.am pumped up with live performances from the Peas and Willow Smith -- the rapper has executive produced a one-hour ABC special based on the event.

Its goal: to get students more excited about science by emphasizing innovations in everyday life.

Scheduled for August 14 and called "The i.am FIRST: Science Is Rock & Roll Back-to-School Special," the show also features Bono, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Steven Tyler and more sharing testimony to the importance of the sciences.

" love technology," will.i.am told TheWrap. "Think about our world right now with the economic crash. Apple stock is cool ... and for some reason everyone's still signing up for Google+. Google is cool, Facebook is cool -- think about what's sitting comfy when everyone else is uncomfortable: technology."

"Who's making the Wii and the Xbox Kinect?" he said. "You'd probably think these people are geeks, but you can't wait to get that gear."

Kamen's FIRST program provides tools that can be integrated with educational curriculum to increase access to quality education in the sciences. With over 2,500 schools already on board, it has been lauded by companies such as Google, Microsoft, CNN, GE.

As for his own scientific prowess, the Los Angeles native laughed, "Not even gonna front. I wasn't good at science in school, but that doesn't mean I don't like it," he told TheWrap.

will.i.am gained wide video notoriety during as an early supporter of Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, with his video "Yes We Can."

When asked if he will revisit political organizing for the upcoming 2012 election, he said that his educational initiatives are how he sees himself involved this time around.

"I want to surround myself with whoever has solutions, he said -- refusing to endorse any particular candidate. "I endorse the youth. I vote for giving the youth the opportunities they need to go out in the world and contribute, so we can compete with other developing countries. I endorse good solutions to change inner-cities, that give kids educational opportunities they don't have."

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Prince William 'confronted' Murdoch execs on hacking (AFP)

LONDON (AFP) – Prince William expressed disappointment to two of Rupert Murdoch's top executives that no one from the media tycoon's empire apologised for hacking his aides' phones, a report said Saturday.

During a lunch meeting in January, the British prince admonished Rupert Murdoch's son James and Rebekah Brooks, who were at the time both executives in Murdoch's British newspaper wing News International, The Times newspaper said.

William, second in line to the throne, reportedly said he was disappointed that no one from the publisher of the now defunct News of the World tabloid contacted him to apologise after his aides' voice messages were intercepted.

During the meal at a five-star hotel in north Wales, the prince is reported to have said that "it would have been nice if someone at the time had apologised."

Brooks, who resigned as News International chief executive this month amid the hacking scandal, and James Murdoch, chairman of News International, both said sorry during the meal, the report said.

A source quoted in the paper added James Murdoch was shocked no apology had already been offered.

The meal, which was organised by royal officials to build relations with the press, was "largely friendly", The Times said.

The original police investigation into phone hacking in 2006 centred on illegal interception of voicemail messages of royal officials.

The News of the World's royal editor and a private investigator were jailed in 2007 for hacking into the phones of members of the royal household.

The paper maintained for several years that the hacking was the work of a "rogue reporter" but it has emerged since that the practice was more widespread.

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Singer will.i.am to work with US, perform in China (AFP)

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US singer will.i.am, the frontman of the Black Eyed Peas, will partner with the State Department to promote cultural and educational exchanges with China by directing a concert in Beijing this year.

The Grammy winner met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday to discuss President Barack Obama's "100,000 Strong Initiative," which aims to increase the number of US students in China, the State Department said.

The concert, which will feature performances by will.i.am and other US and Chinese pop stars, will promote and benefit the plan, said the statement, which did not give details about the other participants.

"In order to become responsible global citizens, young people need to experience the world around them," will.i.am said in the statement.

"We must make sure that American students have the cultural awareness and skills necessary to succeed in a global economy."

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Prince William, Catherine opt for quiet life (AFP)

LONDON (AFP) – Prince William and his wife Catherine will go "under the radar" for the rest of the year, keeping a low profile after their stellar tour of North America, royal officials said on Tuesday.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have barely spent any time together at their home in northwest Wales since their April 29 wedding, watched by an estimated two billion viewers worldwide.

William, second in line to the throne, is a Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopter pilot at a base on the island of Anglesey and needs to put in plenty of hours in order to become a captain.

Kate is to spend time planning which charities she wants to become involved with and deepening her understanding of her husband's charitable interests.

The couple, both aged 29, also want to avoid overshadowing Queen Elizabeth II in the run-up to 2012, the 85-year-old monarch's diamond jubilee year, a spokesman for their St James's Palace office said.

The duke and duchess flew back from Los Angeles on Monday after a 12-day north American tour during which they were greeted as rock stars, and even outshone Hollywood celebrities.

The royal couple, making their first official overseas trip since getting married, were feted from Canada's far north to the Californian sun of the US west coast.

"Since they got married they were on honeymoon, in London for most of June for family events and other events and want to go back and have a married life together under the radar, and enjoy their life in Anglesey," said the spokesman.

The couple are set to attend the wedding of William's cousin Zara Phillips and England rugby star Mike Tindall in Edinburgh later this month, a handful of routine public engagements and Remembrance Sunday in November, honouring the war dead.

Although the second half of 2011 will be quiet for the couple, 2012 is shaping up to be a busy year.

Besides the jubilee and the London Olympic Games, William and Catherine will, like other senior royals, undertake jubilee tours to the queen's realms and other Commonwealth countries.

The prince will also go on a routine two-month deployment to the Falkland Islands, without Catherine.

The deployment could happen early in the year, around the Olympics (July-August) or right at the end.

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William and Catherine return home after royal tour (AFP)

LONDON (AFP) – Prince William and his new wife Catherine arrived back in Britain on Monday after a 12-day north American tour during which they were greeted as rock stars, a palace spokeswoman said.

"They have landed in London, that was this morning," a spokeswoman for St James's Palace, the royal couple's official residence in London, told AFP.

William and Catherine were feted from Canada's far north to the Californian sun of the US west coast as they made their first official overseas trip since marrying in Westminster Abbey on April 29.

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William and Kate talk tech on arrival to California (Reuters)

BEVERLY HILLS, California (Reuters) – Britain's royal newlyweds Prince William and Kate kicked off their maiden U.S. visit on Friday in a truly California way -- by networking with the technology and entertainment industries.

Arriving on a typically sunny Southern California day, the young royal couple went straight to Beverly Hills to promote technology and new media investment back home to a room of British and American entrepreneurs.

The opening event on the royal agenda set the stage for a three-day visit in which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge aim to prioritize trade and charity work. With tough economic times at home, William and Kate will keep the celebrity quotient in check, even though they are on the giant celebrity stage that is Los Angeles.

That strategy hasn't stopped the media in the entertainment capital of the world from going all out for the high-wattage visit, the first ever by the former Kate Middleton to the United States.

Television carried live images of the couple's arrival from Canada after an eight-day visit there in their first official overseas trip since marrying in April. She wore a simple pale pastel dress, he a dark suit as they descended from the plane to meet California Governor Jerry Brown.

In another California tradition, the TV helicopters rode with the royal motorcade from the airport to Beverly Hills, while few onlookers watched the famous couple pass through the palm-lined streets.

UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENTS

William and Kate, in their first months of marriage, have earned a reputation for handily working the crowds in a relaxed and accessible way. But their first hours on California soil weren't without some seemingly uncomfortable moments.

Around 300 people at the Beverly Hills conference rose to their feet and applauded as William and Kate arrived to sit in briefly on a discussion aimed at promoting U.S. investment in new media technology companies in Britain.

Neither the prince nor his wife spoke publicly as the five executives continued with their onstage presentations for 15 minutes, almost ignoring the royal couple. William fidgeted with his sleeves while the Duchess listened attentively.

William and Kate later toured an exhibition room together, stopping to talk to technology executives and try out different social media and video gadgets.

"That was fantastic. I really enjoyed it," William thanked one of the conference organizers.

The potential future king and queen of Britain might feel more in their element on Saturday, when they head to the wealthy coastal city of Santa Barbara for a celebrity polo match in which William will play.

On Saturday night, they will attend a black tie, $25,000 per table dinner organized by the British Academy for Film and Television (BAFTA) of which William is president.

At that gala, networking will again be on the agenda as 42 young, British, emerging actors, directors, writers and video game designers come together with Hollywood studio executives.

(Writing by Mary Milliken; Editing by Paul Simao)

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William, Kate visit devastated Canadian town (AP)

SLAVE LAKE, Alberta – Prince William and Kate made a detour from their official itinerary on Wednesday so they could visit the northern Alberta town of Slave Lake, heavily damaged by a wildfire in May.

The royal couple landed at the community airport, where they boarded a bus with large windows for a tour of devastated neighborhoods. They saw burned-out cars, blackened trees and the remains of what had once been family homes — now reduced to charred basement foundations.

The couple walked down a street, asked many questions, and even stopped to touch one demolished car. At one point, William reached down to examine the rubble, then studied the ash on his hands.

After about 20 minutes, they headed to a local college, where a crowd that had been gathering since early morning chanted "Will and Kate" and "We Love Slave Lake."

The two waved briefly before heading inside to meet about 50 residents, who sat in plastic chairs at folding tables in the gymnasium. The duke and duchess stopped at each table to shake hands and chat. William patted one woman's shoulder.

They emerged for a walkabout to the delight of everyone.

The couple made the detour to Slave Lake with the hope of bringing some much-needed cheer to residents who face the daunting task of rebuilding their fire-scarred town. The northern Alberta community was not on the official royal itinerary, but the couple wanted to make a special stop to show support for the many people who lost everything.

More than 400 homes and businesses — about one-third of the town — were reduced to ash and debris when a wind-whipped forest fire swept through in May. The fire forced 7,000 people to flee in what was the largest evacuation in Alberta's history.

The newlyweds are on the seventh day of their nine-day trip to Canada, part of the first official overseas trip for the couple who wed on April 29. After the Slave Lake visit, they departed for some private time at an undisclosed location before their next official stop in Calgary late Thursday afternoon. Wednesday was originally scheduled to be a day of rest.

The fires left many wondering what — if anything — they would find upon their return. Some houses were undamaged, but others were razed and families have been forced to seek temporary accommodation.

The people gathered outside the college were pressed four and five deep against the barricades, eager for a glimpse of the royal visitors.

"It is very, very exciting for our town and our community," resident Shauna Fiddler said. "It will hopefully lift the spirits of many people who have had their spirits quite dampened."

Dwayne Verschoor, whose home was destroyed, said he can't believe the royals made a point of coming to visit.

"It's a pretty big honor and a privilege even for them to think of us over here in a small little town," he said.

Some Slave Lake residents are living in campers and mobile homes. Lucky ones, such as nursery school teacher Karen Scharf, have found rental housing. She said it's a tight squeeze with five adults, two dogs and a cat, but at least they'll have a roof over their heads for the winter.

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William and Kate detour to fire-ravaged Slave Lake (AFP)

CALGARY, Canada (AFP) – Prince William and wife Catherine made a detour in their Canadian visit Wednesday to Slave Lake, where 400 homes and businesses were razed by forest fires in Canada's second-costliest disaster.

Some 7,000 people fled the town, 280 kilometers (155 miles) north of Edmonton, Alberta, when outback fires fanned by strong winds suddenly swept through in mid-May. It led to the complete evacuation of the town and the largest such displacement in the province's history.

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the fires caused CAN$700 million (US$725 million) in damage. Only the havoc left by ice storms that hit eastern Quebec and Ontario provinces in 1998 cost more to clean up -- CAN$1.8 billion (US$1.9 billion).

Incredibly, no fatalities or injuries resulted from the Slave Lake disaster as families fled with only their pets and photo albums in hand, waiting up to six weeks after the blazes cooled to return and sift through ash and debris.

"I'm very excited by (the royal visit)," Sandi Gaskell whose home was destroyed told public broadcaster CBC prior to William and Kate's arrival. She has been living in a trailer at a campground and has only just returned to work.

"I suppose it distracts from our own situation. We've lost something. We've lost lots. It's an exciting occasion."

As Slave Lake residents begin to rebuild, another area resident added: "Kate and Will coming will give us the boost to get through this and know that better things are coming."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met privately with members of the local fire brigade, ambulance crews, policemen and residents during a two-hour stopover in Slave Lake, as well as toured the devastation.

Trip organizers said they had waited until the last minute to confirm the stop because they wanted to be assured that the couple's presence would not disrupt the recovery.

The couple had originally planned to take a day off from the meeting and greeting, and official ceremonies, and sneak away for a romantic Rocky Mountain getaway.

After the stop in Slave Lake, they are to head to Calgary for the last scheduled leg of their tour taking in a rodeo on Thursday and Friday, before departing for California on July 9.

In advance of the newly-weds' arrival in Calgary, thousands of well-wishers began lining streets as early as Tuesday for a chance to see the royal golden couple when they land in the nerve center of Canada's oil sector.

On Tuesday, the couple played a bit of hockey in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, the disputed birthplace of Canada's national pastime -- several Canadian cities and towns lay claim to the title "cradle of hockey".

Aboriginals there signed Canada's first Arctic treaty 112 years ago at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush with William's great-great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. A century later, she is still affectionately referred to as "grandmother" by locals.

Their enthusiasm for William and Catherine was unbridled, going absolutely wild when the prince ended a speech saying "Mahsi Cho" and "Quyanainni," Dene and Inuvialuktun words for "thank you."

Dene is spoken throughout the territory, including in the capital of Yellowknife, while Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuvialuit along the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

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Prince William and Catherine to visit Skid Row (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Prince William and Catherine's visit to the U.S. will fittingly include a match of the "sport of kings" at a Santa Barbara polo ground and an evening of hobnobbing with Hollywood's version of royalty, but the couple will also make a stop in Los Angeles' most plebian neighborhood — Skid Row.

Moving from the hoity-toity to the hoi polloi, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be visiting Inner-City Arts, a nonprofit academy that has given children from poverty-stricken neighborhoods free classes in visual and performing arts since 1989.

"This is what's going on outside their castle. They're going to get a taste of what life is like for us," said Jessica Cornejo, a 19-year-old member of a dance troupe that will be performing for the newlywed couple during their Sunday visit. "It's the best way to end that royal trip."

Housed in a contemporary compound of bright white buildings dotting a plant-filled courtyard, the academy stands out on a street pockmarked with despair.

As twilight sets in on a recent afternoon, the sidewalk fills with locals swigging beer out of paper bags and smoking marijuana cigarettes. No one pays any mind to the toothless and shoeless, mumbling to themselves or shouting to the air as they shunt shopping carts crammed with their worldly possessions.

Skid Row is the nation's homeless capital with some 4,000 people crammed into a 50-square block area of downtown Los Angeles. Nearly 1,000 sleep on the street every night, others seek a cot at one of five shelters in the area or reside in homeless housing.

But inside Inner-City Arts, the air is filled with the energy of kids who turn the frustration of growing up poor into creative impulse for dancing, acting, music, painting, sculpting and drawing in professional caliber studios. About 90 percent of the children here are Hispanic, many from families that lack a stable home.

The academy offers arts classes as part of local elementary school curriculums and after-school activities to teens, as well as instruction to teachers.

The duke and duchess will paint and work in ceramics alongside 120 grade-schoolers and then watch a dance performance by a troupe of teenagers. The 16 dancers have been frantically rehearsing in twice-weekly, six-hour sessions since the visit was announced in early June.

While some were enthralled about the prospect of meeting the figures from a fairy tale, others weren't quite sure who Prince William and Catherine were when told of the impending visit.

"I said `I need to research them'," said Lorenzo Perez, 19, adding he got a lot more excited when he found out the guest is a genuine blue blood second in line to the British throne. That beats hands down a previous VIP performance for a group of congressional representatives.

"We thought that was the biggest we could get," he said. "I never pictured that I'd be performing for the royal couple."

The troupe will perform two pieces. One is a dynamic seven-minute medley of various musical genres, including hip-hop, pop and merengue, while the other is a more somber piece that incorporates a video of images of poverty around the world.

The first was selected to highlight their own urban youth culture and the second to point to global issues. "We're close to Skid Row," said dancer Iliana Samaniego, 15. "Maybe it can get attention to that."

Inner-City Arts combines two of Prince William's causes — the arts and homeless prevention — in a trip that focuses on his charity causes.

"I know he wanted to use this trip to the benefit of everything he does," said Nigel Lythgoe, chairman of the Los Angeles chapter of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, which is hosting the Saturday evening gala for the royals. The prince is the president of the academy and the event will promote young British film industry talent to Hollywood elite.

The Santa Barbara polo match and dinner — at $4,000 a plate — is expected to raise $4.4 million for the prince's foundation that benefits a number of charities. The prince and his brother Harry often play in polo matches at home as fundraisers.

Early Sunday, Prince William and Catherine will attend a private breakfast with American patrons of Tusk Trust, an African conservation charity.

Administrators at Inner-City Arts, which has worked closely with the British Consulate-General in Los Angeles in the past, hope the visit will raise awareness of the importance of arts in children's lives and how Inner-City Arts benefits underprivileged youngsters who otherwise rarely get a chance at creative expression.

"It puts Inner-City Arts in a different category of visibility," said Beth Tischler, Inner-City Arts' director of education.

The trip's emphasis on charity reflects the fundamental role of the modern British monarchy, especially that of the "satellite royals," the relatives who surround Queen Elizabeth II, said Philippa Levine, co-director of the British studies program at the University of Texas at Austin.

A stop in a place like Skid Row is not out of the ordinary these days as modern royals have aimed to reach out to commoners since World War II when the Queen Mother, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, sought to rally Britons' spirits through years of bombing raids and rationing.

That tradition was enlarged upon by Princess Diana, William's mother, making her a revered personality the world over.

"It's a very, very long history with the British monarchy, and it's at every level — the rich stuff at $4,000 a plate, and at the most basic level," Levine said.

Skid Row residents seemed largely oblivious to the royal visit, but they didn't think it would do much for the neighborhood as the couple's visit focused on Inner-City Arts.

"It's good for the kids," shrugged Michael Nicholson, 58, who was sitting in a wheelchair on a street corner a couple blocks from the academy. "But I don't think it will do anything for Skid Row."

At the academy, the dancers were gleaming with sweat as instructor Marissa Herrera put them through their paces during rehearsal. She said she hoped to impress the royals with how empowering the arts can be to disadvantaged youth. "These youth really have hope for the future," she said.

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William and Kate visit Canada's far north (AFP)

YELLOWKNIFE, Canada (AFP) – Prince William and new bride Catherine landed in Canada's far north Tuesday to meet aboriginal groups who still refer affectionately to his ancestor Queen Victoria as "grandmother."

Under drizzle and overcast skies in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, the indigenous Dene people prepared to greet Britain's royal couple with dancing and singing to the beat of caribou skin drums.

After the performance, honoring both aboriginal and Christian prayers, William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, were to be treated to an afternoon of Arctic sports and lessons in tribal governing by consensus.

Area aboriginals signed the British monarchy's first Arctic treaty 112 years ago at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush with William's great-great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. A century later, she is still affectionately referred to as "grandmother" by locals.

William and Catherine were to meet Canadian Rangers, who patrol the far reaches of Canada's Arctic, as well as aboriginal elders, and observe aboriginal games described as "tests of strength, agility and endurance," key to living off the land in this harsh environment.

They will also be taught aboriginal hand games, historically played to gamble for bullets, furs, dogs, toboggans or match sticks -- these involve using elaborate hand gestures, and the hiding and guessing of objects.

They will also have an opportunity to stickhandle a ball (in lieu of a puck), during a game of street hockey in the birthplace of ice hockey.

Street hockey or "shiny" is a popular summer substitute for Canada's winter pastime, and is similar to field hockey.

The political highlight of the stopover will be an opportunity to see in action the territory's unique form of government, which combines aboriginal traditions with Westminster's parliamentary system.

There are no political parties in the Northwest Territories assembly. Rather, its 19 members meet after elections to choose a speaker, a premier and six cabinet ministers from among themselves, and govern by consensus.

They royals will see how it works during a mock youth parliament.

So far on their first official foreign trip as newlyweds, William and Catherine have celebrated Canada Day among hundreds of thousands of adoring fans with fireworks and musical performances, taken a cooking class in Montreal, and competed in dragon boat races in Prince Edward Island.

Their two-day visit to Quebec province on Saturday and Sunday drew protests by republicans, but the jeers and chants of "down with the monarchy" were drowned out by well-wishers' cheers.

On Monday, William successfully splashed down on a Canadian lake in a massive Sea King helicopter for an emergency water landing drill.

William, a Royal Air Force search and rescue Sea King pilot, was taking part in a "waterbird" exercise he had requested midway through the nine-day visit.

As Catherine looked on nervously from the shores of Dalvay by The Sea, a popular historic hotel site, William took the controls of the military whirlybird and dove it into a small lake, then skimmed along the water like a duck before taking off vertically.

On Wednesday, trip organizers said they would make an unscheduled stop at a community on the shores of Slave Lake devastated by forest fires in May, instead of sneaking away for a romantic Rocky Mountains getaway.

Thereafter, the royal golden couple, both 29, will travel to Calgary for a rodeo before heading for Los Angeles on July 9 for the much shorter US leg of their North American tour.

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Prince William performs water landings in Canada (AP)

DALVAY BY-THE-SEA, Prince Edward Island – Prince William enjoyed showing off his military helicopter training with his first-ever water landing Monday to the delight of anxious crowds in Canada, where he and his wife, Kate, have been on their first official overseas trip since their wedding.

The Duke of Cambridge climbed into the cockpit of a Sea King helicopter for the military training exercise at Dalvay by-the-Sea, a scenic resort along Prince Edward Island's north shore. Prince William, a Royal Air Force rescue helicopter pilot, requested the simulated emergency landing procedure.

Dressed in an olive flight suit and helmet, the prince — who is second in line to the throne — settled the large helicopter on the water several times over the course of an hour.

From the water, William piloted several takeoffs and hovered in the air before executing dual- and single-engine landings before taxiing around as Kate watched from the ground.

"He was looking for his wife on the shoreline at one point," said Col. Sam Michaud, 42, who trained William. "She was waving back about 100 feet away."

Michaud said William is now fully trained. He said William remarked that the "boys back at his squadron would be absolutely jealous."

Canada is the only country that trains its Sea King helicopter pilots to do a controlled landing on water if there's an emergency. The exercise William performed Monday is known as waterbirding, and if the number of times he tried it was any indication, the prince was enjoying the technique. The Sea King, which William flies back in the U.K, has the ability to land on water because of its amphibious hull.

Maj. Pat MacNamara called him a star pilot.

"I would suggest he was having quite a bit of fun," MacNamara said. "He said it was one of the highlights of his trip."

Prince Edward Island resident Linda Patton, 60, said she was nervous watching the prince fly.

"It was thrilling to watch and a little nerve-racking I must admit, especially the ones he was hovering and came straight down" Patton said.

The duke will take the landing technique back home with him to use in his job, said royal press secretary Miguel Head.

"The Duke of Cambridge is, first and foremost, a search-and-rescue pilot — that's his job and it's a job he's very proud to do," said Head. "When (William) took the decision to come to Canada, one of the things he actually asked to do was to do this."

The royal pair then got to flex their muscles by paddling in two dragon boats to race against each other. Kate, dressed in black sportswear, got to demonstrate her athletic prowess while on the water by taking the stern of her boat. She trained as part of a dragon boat crew in 2007, and the rivalry with William appeared to be genuine.

William gripped his paddle to execute a strong stroke, while Kate moved from the stern to paddle in her boat. The prince's boat won the short race by a hair and William exited the boat to give Kate a warm consolation hug. Kate playfully gave William a shove, as if to push him in the water.

"There's no chivalry in sport," William jokingly told Kate as he was presented with a bottle of champagne for winning the race.

"Sadly, we lost," she said, laughing, to Christine Dapart, one of the spectators in the crowd as the royal couple made their way to a pavilion where regional performers were on hand to demonstrate Celtic and Acadian dance and song.

Later, the royal couple met an actress who plays the fictional star of "Anne of Green Gables," the classic Canadian novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery for which Prince Edward Island is famed. Actress Tess Benger, 23, who performs as Anne in a play, gave Kate a copy of the book. Kate, a fan of the novel and its sequels, told her she would read it again.

In a tent, the couple sampled the island's food. William put his hands on his stomach and joked about eating too much on the trip. He passed on the oyster tasting, saying to Kate "this is where you take over."

They tasted Island beef with sweet onion marmalade, lobster and potato chowder, pork and beef belly and strawberry shortcake. The couple later observed a search and rescue operation.

The Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge, as they are officially known, were on the fifth of a nine-day trip to Canada, part of their first official overseas trip since their April 29 wedding.

They were welcomed to their third Canadian province Monday with cheering, waving crowds excited to catch a glimpse of royalty at Province House. The site is the home of Prince Edward Island's legislature and of a historic meeting 146 years ago that paved the way for Canada's eventual unification and independence.

On Monday morning, Kate sported a cream dress by Sarah Burton for the British fashion house of Alexander McQueen, who designed her royal wedding gown. William wore his traditional dark suit and red tie. Kate later wore dark skinny jeans and a navy-belted trenchcoat with a bright red scarf from Burton's wardrobe at Dalvay by-the-Sea.

For the third time during the trip, William spoke in French and English to address the crowds.

"We have both so looked forward to this day, and discovering more about your beautiful island," he said.

The royal pair delighted the several thousand people gathered at the site by walking over to shake hands and stop for a quick chat, while some handed them flowers, including the east coast Canadian flower, Lupins, and hand-held Canadian flags, while snapping photos.

The smiling couple hopped into a landau led by Canadian Mounties to take them to Confederation Landing for another walkabout before heading to the resort at Dalvay by-the-Sea.

The royal pair left Canada's smallest province late Monday afternoon. They ended the day by flying to Yellowknife, the capital of the sparsely-populated Northwest Territories, where several hundred people greeted them. They leave Canada for a three-day trip to California on July 8.

___

Associated Press Writer Charmaine Noronha in Toronto contributed to this report.

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Prince William performs water landings in Canada (AP)

DALVAY BY-THE-SEA, Prince Edward Island – Prince William enjoyed showing off his military helicopter training with his first-ever water landing Monday to the delight of anxious crowds in Canada, where he and his wife, Kate, have been on their first official overseas trip since their wedding.

The Duke of Cambridge climbed into the cockpit of a Sea King helicopter for the military training exercise at Dalvay by-the-Sea, a scenic resort along Prince Edward Island's north shore. Prince William, a Royal Air Force rescue helicopter pilot, requested the simulated emergency landing procedure.

Dressed in an olive flight suit and helmet, the prince settled the large helicopter on the water several times over the course of an hour.

From the water, William piloted several takeoffs and hovered in the air before executing dual- and single-engine landings before taxiing around as Kate watched from the ground.

"He was looking for his wife on the shoreline at one point," said Col. Sam Michaud, 42, who trained William. "She was waving back about 100 feet away."

Michaud said William is now fully trained. He said William remarked that the "boys back at his squadron would be absolutely jealous."

Canada is the only country that trains its Sea King helicopter pilots to do a controlled landing on water if there's an emergency. The exercise William performed Monday is known as waterbirding, and if the number of times he tried it was any indication, the prince was enjoying the technique. The Sea King, which William flies back in the U.K, has the ability to land on water because of its amphibious hull.

Maj. Pat MacNamara called him a star pilot.

"I would suggest he was having quite a bit of fun," MacNamara said. "He said it was one of the highlights of his trip."

Prince Edward Island resident Linda Patton, 60, said she was nervous watching the prince fly.

"It was thrilling to watch and a little nerve-racking I must admit, especially the ones he was hovering and came straight down" Patton said.

The royal pair then got to flex their muscles by paddling in two dragon boats to race against each other. Kate, dressed in black sportswear, got to demonstrate her athletic prowess while on the water by taking the stern of her boat. She trained as part of a dragon boat crew in 2007, and the rivalry with William appeared to be genuine.

William gripped his paddle to execute a strong stroke, while Kate moved from the stern to paddle in her boat. The prince's boat won the short race by a hair and William exited the boat to give Kate a warm consolation hug. Kate laughed and tried to push William in the water.

Later, the royal couple met an actress who plays the fictional star of Anne of Green Gables, the classic Canadian novel for which Prince Edward Island is famed. Actress Tess Benger, 23, who performs as Anne in a play, gave Kate a copy of the book. Kate, a fan of the novel, told her she would read it again.

In a tent, the couple sampled the island's food. William put his hands on his stomach and joked about eating too much on the trip. He passed on the oyster tasting, saying to Kate "this is where you take over."

They tasted Island beef with sweet onion marmalade, lobster and potato chowder, pork and beef belly and strawberry shortcake. The couple later observed a search and rescue operation.

The Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge, as they are officially known, were on the fifth of a nine-day trip to Canada, part of their first official overseas trip since their April 29 wedding.

They were welcomed to their third Canadian province Monday with cheering, waving crowds excited to catch a glimpse of royalty at Province House. The site is the home of Prince Edward Island's legislature and of a historic meeting 146 years ago that paved the way for Canada's eventual unification and independence.

On Monday morning, Kate sported a cream dress by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, who designed the wedding gown she wore. William wore his traditional dark suit and red tie. Kate later wore dark skinny jeans and a navy-belted trenchcoat with a bright red scarf from Burton's wardrobe at Dalvay-by-the-Sea.

For the third time during the trip, William spoke in French and English to address the crowds.

"We have both so looked forward to this day, and discovering more about your beautiful island," he said.

The royal pair delighted the several thousand people gathered at the site by walking over to shake hands and stop for a quick chat, while some handed them flowers, including the east coast Canadian flower, Lupins, and hand-held Canadian flags, while snapping photos.

The smiling couple hopped into a landau led by Canadian Mounties to take them to Confederation Landing for another walkabout before heading to the resort at Dalvay by-the-Sea.

The royal pair will leave Canada's smallest province late Monday afternoon for Yellowknife, capital of the sparsely-populated Northwest Territories. They leave for a three-day trip to California on July 8.

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Associated Press Writer Charmaine Noronha in Toronto contributed to this report.

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Prince William, Kate greeted by protesters (AP)

MONTREAL – Prince William's new bride Kate countered protesters with smiles Saturday, as the royal couple came face to face with loud opposition in the French-speaking province of Quebec in a brief reversal of what has otherwise been a hugely successful trip.

About 35 protesters, including members of the separatist group Reseau de Resistance du Quebecois, or Quebecker Resistance Network, stood outside Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre in Montreal chanting "A united people will never be vanquished."

The newlyweds were there to visit with cancer patients and the hospital's neonatal care facility. The Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre is the largest mother-child center in Canada.

Protesters carried signs that read "Parasites go home," `'War Criminals," and "Your fortune came from the blood of our ancestors."

"It's a symbol of English dominance over Quebec," said 30-year-old lawyer Antoine Pich of the couple's visit.

Dressed in black capes, the protesters were drumming and booing as the royal couple's motorcade pulled up to the hospital. William was whisked into the hospital as Kate stepped out of the car and smiled at the crowd before going in.

The demonstrations were a rare moment of criticism aimed at the young royals, who have for the most part been welcomed with open arms by Canadians eager to see the glamorous newlyweds.

The protesters were outnumbered about 10 to one by William and Kate supporters gathered outside the hospital. "Give me one good reason why you should hate someone. They're good people," said Elyane Lafontaine, 51.

Saturday was the couple's quietest and least frenetic day since beginning their tour on Thursday. The trip unfolded with two days of rousing crowds and seas of well-wishers clamoring to catch a glimpse of royalty during the couple's stay in Ottawa, the country's English-speaking capital city.

Protesters were angry that Canada still has ties to the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is still the country's figurative head of state and new Canadian citizens still pledge allegiance to the Queen during their swearing-in ceremony. Others said they were angry that taxpayer money is being used to pay for the royal tour.

Michael Behiels, an Ottawa University professor, said there was much hostility between the French and the English in the years following Great Britain's 1759 Conquest of New France — which is present day Quebec.

Maxime Laporte, head of the Reseau de Resistance du Quebecois, said the monarchy doesn't represent Quebec and is illegitimate here because the province has never accepted Canada's constitution. He called the royal tour a "nation-building exercise" funded by taxpayers.

The royal couple left the hospital and headed to the de Tourisme et D'Hotellerie du Quebec, where they were met again by a handful of protesters dominated by about 150 supporters. Many of the detractors loudly protested with megaphones and booing as the motorcade arrived.

One man perched above on a balcony earned cheers from the crowd as he chanted, before the couple arrived, "Vive le Quebec libre!"

The royal couple left the hospital and headed to the Institut de Tourisme et D'Hotellerie du Quebec, where they were met again by a handful of protesters dominated by about 150 supporters. Some spectators held signs that said, "Bienvenue Will et Kate sur Le Plateau," which welcomes them to the trendy Montreal neighborhood where the institute is located.

Once inside, Kate and William donned aprons and took part in a cooking workshop at the facility, which is a government agency that conducts training and research in the hotel, tourism and food service industries.

Wearing white cooking jackets, the pair got into the pots and pans to whip up some authentic Quebec fare. They helped make foie gras with toasted brioche, Charlevoix lamb, lobster souffle and a cheesecake-type dish with caramel and meringue. The couple are slated to dine with Quebec Premier Jean Charest and his wife Michele.

Before heading to the French-speaking city, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge started the third day of their tour in Ottawa, Ontario, with a tree-planting ceremony at Government House that has become a royal family tradition and a visit to the Canadian War Museum.

Prince William, wearing a dark blue suit, and Kate, dressed in a grey, fitted knee-length Kensington dress by British designer Catherine Walker, each wielded a shovel as they helped plant a Canadian hemlock — a tree known for its longevity meant to symbolize their marriage.

Their tree was the 17th planted by a member of the British royal family in a tradition dating back to 1939. Prince William's parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, planted trees on previous visits at Rideau Hall, the official residence of both the Canadian monarch and Governor General, the queen's representative in Canada.

The couple then attended a reception at the Canadian War Museum with veterans of conflicts from World War II to Afghanistan. The couple met with the veterans and with war brides — about 45,000 women came from Europe to Canada as war brides after World War II, most of them from the United Kingdom.

Moments after entering the museum, the couple walked over to a group of seated women who served as nurses in the Canadian military during World War II and the Korean War. The royal pair spent several minutes with them.

The royal couple are in Quebec for a two-day stay.

A 2009 visit by Prince William's father, Prince Charles, to Montreal was disrupted by more than 200 separatist protesters. The protesters sat in the street, blocking the prince's way into a ceremony planned at an armory, and threw eggs at the soldiers who were accompanying him and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall. The couple were forced to enter the building through a back door and missed an elaborate welcoming ceremony that had been planned.

In 1990, Canada Day celebrations were disrupted briefly by protesters from Quebec who booed and turned their back on the queen.

However, support for the separatists among Quebeckers has been on the decline in recent years as the 80-percent French-speaking province has enjoyed plenty of autonomy even without quitting Canada.

The royal couple leave Canada for a three-day trip to California on July 8.

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Associated Press Writers Charmaine Noronha in Toronto and Rob Gillies in Ottawa, Ontario, contributed to this story.

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William and Catherine heckled in Montreal (AFP)

MONTREAL (AFP) – Prince William and his bride Catherine's first official foreign trip as newlyweds turned grim when Quebec republicans welcomed them to Montreal shouting "down with the monarchy."

"We will never bend, Willy go home!" some 60 protesters shouted outside a Montreal children's hospital the royal couple visited. "French Quebec!" and "Parasite go home!" they chanted.

The group pounded on buckets as the couple entered the hospital without acknowledging them, drowning out a much larger group of well-wishers, many of whom cried out "We love you Kate!"

Outside the Quebec tourism and hotel business institute, a line of riot police with shields and rooftop snipers watched over a second group of protesters behind a barricade when the royal couple arrived for a cooking class.

Britain conquered the former French colony of Quebec in 1763, but its culture and language survived, and today it is a bastion of French culture in North America.

British rule, however, still evokes resentment in some quarters of the Canadian province.

The first of Saturday's demonstrations was organized by a group rattling for the defense of the French language in North America.

Its president, Mario Beaulieu, told AFP the duke and duchess's visit "raises the issue of francophone assimilation," as well as "the linguistic purging of Quebec, in which the Canadian government is complicit."

The monarchy "is an obsolete institution, anti-democratic and sexist, and Quebec wants none of it," he added.

As a member of the Commonwealth, Canada's official head of state is the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by a governor general.

But a poll released on the eve of William and Kate's visit found that a third of Canadians want to cut ties with the British monarchy.

In Quebec, where 83 percent of the population speaks French and only 10 percent speak English, disaffection with the royals runs as high as 60 percent, according to the Angus Reid survey.

Quebec twice rejected independence in referendums in 1980 and 1995, the last time by a narrow margin.

Separatists would like to hold a third vote, but recent infighting has marred their organization.

Prince William, second in line to the British throne, and his wife celebrated Canada Day among hundreds of thousands of adoring fans in Ottawa, with fireworks and musical performances on Friday.

The duchess of Cambridge smiled broadly and exchanged polite banter as she shook hands with the crowd for longer than the intended hour.

The Quebec leg of their trip, however, includes no major public events, apparently an attempt to reduce possible confrontations with anti-monarchists or separatists like the one that embarrassed William's father, Prince Charles, when he visited in 2009.

Quebec separatists clashed with riot police outside an army hall at the time, delaying the arrival of the prince of Wales.

William and Kate were scheduled to sail aboard a navy frigate to Quebec City for a tour on Sunday of the historic fortified quarter known as the Citadel.

There, the couple will also meet with members of the Royal 22nd Regiment, the most famous francophone unit in the Canadian Forces, and face more protests called for by the Quebec nationalist group RRQ.

William and Catherine are very likable, the group's Patrick Bourgeois said, but are being used by Ottawa to give the world a false impression that Quebec's separatist movement has faded away and its members now accept being part of a Canadian federation dominated by Anglo-Saxons.

Earlier Saturday, the couple planted a ceremonial tree at the Ottawa residence of the governor general symbolizing their everlasting "love and marriage" and unveiled a massive painting at the Canadian War Museum.

From Montreal and Quebec City, they will move on to Charlottetown for rescue trials aboard a sea helicopter, to Yellowknife for aboriginal sports and to Calgary for a rodeo.

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William and Kate mark Canada Day with fireworks (AFP)

OTTAWA (AFP) – Prince William and his bride Catherine celebrated Canada Day with fireworks on the couple's first official international outing as jubilant Canadians thronged to catch a glimpse of British royalty.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in the afternoon in a glossy black state landau to join nearly one third of the capital city's population of 900,000 -- cheering "Will and Kate" on the parliament lawn.

"We love you Kate," one section screamed when she stepped out of the carriage.

The crowd decked out in red and white, Canada's national colors, ballooned to half a million by nightfall when fireworks lit up the sky.

Wearing a purple Issa Jersey dress, the princess and her prince, who had by then thrown off his necktie, were dazzled with pyrotechniques framed by some of finest Gothic Revival architecture of the British Empire on Parliament Hill.

"Catherine and I are thrilled and excited by the prospect of the next eight days," William said. "It will be an adventure that we will never forget."

Thousands had lined Ottawa's Wellington Street at dawn to secure a view of the royal couple when they made their way to the city's government precinct for musical performances by Canadian bands Delhi 2 Dublin and Great Big Sea, as well as Pierre Lapointe and Sam Roberts, among others.

Far more Canada Day revelers showed up than usual, indeed "a record" and maybe "triple" the number that came last year for Queen ElizabethI's visit, said Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"The excitement is palpable here," he said.

Under a blistering sun, a few fans collapsed and were carried off by medics moments before the royals' arrival on Parliament Hill.

Those who coped were treated to a fly-past of fighter jets, a changing of the military guard decked in red tunics and towering bear fur hats, as well as Canada's national anthem sung by a 10-year-old girl from Winnipeg who shot to fame performing Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" on a video that went viral online.

William said his new bride learned about Canada from her grandfather, who died last year, "but who held this country dear to his heart for he trained in Alberta as a young pilot during the Second World War."

The prince, second in line to the throne, also conveyed his grandmother's "warmest good wishes."

Queen Elizabeth, he said, has taken a "great interest" in the couple's trip to Canada and will be "following our progress as it unfolds."

Packed with pomp and pageantry, the North American tour marks the couple's first foreign trip as newlyweds, coming just two months after a radiant Kate Middleton walked down the aisle in a fairytale royal wedding watched by an estimated two billion people worldwide.

"Welcome, congratulations and bon voyage," Harper wished them, "the world's most famous newlyweds" at the start of their cross-Canada tour.

Over the coming week, William and Kate are to take a cooking class in Montreal, play aboriginal sports in the far north and cap it all off with a rodeo in Calgary.

Their tour of Canada, however, also coincides with a grim milestone: Friday would have been the 50th birthday of Princess Diana, Prince William's mother, who was mobbed by fans herself when she visited Canada in 1983.

Whereas Prince Charles often seemed annoyed at being upstaged by his wife, William appeared to rejoice at the Canadian public's attention to his new bride, visibly brimming with pride as they shared a few glances whenever enthusiastic cheers erupted for her, and once blushing over their wild welcome.

Kate represents the future of the monarchy, some said.

"It's true that she is very beautiful," added retiree Hugh Henderson.

As gun smoke from a 21-cannon salute billowed across the sky, William gave a special nod to Canadian military wrapping up its combat mission in Afghanistan this month.

He also appeared to take a special interest in the pioneer garb of one of the Canada Day performers, running his fingers down the man's lapel as they chatted before an afternoon break.

Earlier, Kate showed up with her husband for a citizenship ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in a stunning recycled white dress by Reiss worn for her engagement photos in December and a red maple leaf fascinator.

She and William presented each of 25 immigrants with a Canadian flag as they took an oath pledging allegiance to Queen Elizabeth.

Some 150,000 newcomers to the country are welcomed into the Canadian family at 1,700 similar ceremonies each year.

These 25 took the oath "for the first time in the history of Canadian citizenship in the presence of one of (the queen's) heirs who we hope will in the fullness of time become one of her successors as the king of Canada," said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

Support for the monarchy hovers above 50 percent in Canada and has risen from last year when the queen visited, although there is still a vocal anti-monarchist minority planning to protest in Quebec City on Sunday.

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Prince William and Princess Catherine arrive in Canada (AFP)

OTTAWA (AFP) – Britain's Prince William and new bride Princess Catherine arrived in the Canadian capital on Thursday to begin their first official foreign trip as a couple, AFP journalists saw.

Thousands desperate to glimpse the pair lined the streets of Ottawa ahead of their first scheduled event, a wreath-laying ceremony at a World War I memorial at 1835 GMT.

During a nine-day tour packed with pomp and pageantry they will also celebrate Canada's national holiday and take in lighter events such as a cooking class, aboriginal sports and a rodeo.

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William, Kate off to Canada, US in first tour (AP)

OTTAWA, Ontario – Prince William and Kate arrive in Canada on Thursday for their first official overseas trip since their wedding, in a visit that is expected to draw record-numbers of star-struck crowds and well-wishers hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will celebrate Canada Day in Ottawa, open the Calgary Stampede and go canoeing in the Northwest Territories during their nine day-tour of their future realm before taking off to Los Angeles.

"The response we've gotten is overwhelming," Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore told The Associated Press. "We're already now having to adjust some of our plans from moving the couple in and around the capital here, closing off some streets and moving people around."

Canada's prime minister has even unveiled a personal flag for use during William's visit. It is the first flag to be created by Canada for a member of the royal family since 1962, when the queen adopted a personal flag for her own use in Canada.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the flag was approved by the queen and William.

The young prince also plans to demonstrate his skills as a helicopter rescue pilot by taking part in a water landing demonstration, and the couple is scheduled to put on aprons and take part in a cooking workshop in Quebec City.

But the couple won't be welcomed by all. Some anti-royal protests are expected in the French-speaking province of Quebec, with small groups planning protests in Quebec City and Montreal.

The prince and Kate jet to Los Angeles on July 8 and will host a gala dinner there the next night to introduce up-and-coming British film talent to Hollywood executives.

The southern California trip includes a $4,000 three-course meal and a charity polo match up close with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are formally known. So far, about 1,000 VIP tickets have been sold to the polo match along with about 400 general admission passes, raising nearly $4.4 million for the July 9 event. William plans to play in the match, and his wife will award the trophy to the winning team.

Decades have passed since Canadians abandoned the Union Jack and replaced "God Save the Queen" with "O Canada." Ordinarily, most Canadians are indifferent to the monarchy. However the 85-year-old Queen Elizabeth II — William's grandmother — remains Canada's titular head of state, is portrayed on its coins and stamps and has visited 22 times as queen.

"For a new generation of Canadians it's a new introduction for themselves into the monarchy," Moore said.

This royal couple is expected to draw thousands and more than 1,300 journalists are accredited. William got a reception fit for a rock star the last time he visited Canada as a 15-year-old in 1998. He wowed teenage girls who wolf-whistled him when he visited Vancouver, British Columbia, with his father Prince Charles. William looked aghast at the commotion back then. That trip was the first official foreign visit for him since the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.

William will be celebrating Canada's birthday on Friday, the same day his mother would have turned 50.

He is due to say a few words at a number of stops. Kate is not scheduled to speak.

The couple will travel from the sub-Arctic to oil-rich Calgary, Alberta, from busy Montreal to bucolic Prince Edward Island of "Anne of Green Gables" fame. They'll sit around a campfire with young people, dress casual for the Calgary rodeo, join a cookout in Quebec City and hand out flags to newly-minted Canadians at a citizenship ceremony.

Harper is the most pro-monarchy Canadian leader since the 1950s, and his ambition is to foster a national identity that is more conservative and more aware of its historical roots.

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William, Kate off to Canada, US in first tour (AP)

OTTAWA, Ontario – Prince William and Kate arrive in Canada on Thursday for their first official overseas trip since their wedding, in a visit that is expected to draw record-numbers of star-struck crowds and well-wishers hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will celebrate Canada Day in Ottawa, open the Calgary Stampede and go canoeing in the Northwest Territories during their nine day-tour of their future realm before taking off to Los Angeles.

"The response we've gotten is overwhelming," Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore told The Associated Press. "We're already now having to adjust some of our plans from moving the couple in and around the capital here, closing off some streets and moving people around."

The royal couple left London's Heathrow Airport on a Royal Canadian Air Force plane Thursday morning. The duchess wore a navy blue knee-length dress by the French designer Roland Mouret paired with a navy blazer by Toronto-based Smythe les Vestes. William wore his customary dark blue suit with a red tie.

Canada's prime minister has unveiled a personal flag for use during William's visit. It is the first flag to be created by Canada for a member of the royal family since 1962, when the queen adopted a personal flag for her own use in Canada. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the flag was approved by the queen and William.

The young prince plans to demonstrate his skills as a helicopter rescue pilot by taking part in a water landing demonstration, and the couple is scheduled to put on aprons and take part in a cooking workshop in Quebec City.

But the couple won't be welcomed by all. Some anti-royal protests are expected in the French-speaking province of Quebec, with small groups planning protests in Quebec City and Montreal.

Canadian officials have estimated the royal visit will cost the Canadian government about US$1.55 million dollars (CA$1.5 million dollars), not including security.

The prince and Kate jet to Los Angeles on July 8 and will host a gala dinner there the next night to introduce up-and-coming British film talent to Hollywood executives.

The southern California trip includes a $4,000 three-course meal and a charity polo match up close with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are formally known. So far, about 1,000 VIP tickets have been sold to the polo match along with about 400 general admission passes, raising nearly $4.4 million for the July 9 event. William plans to play in the match, and his wife will award the trophy to the winning team.

Decades have passed since Canadians abandoned the Union Jack and replaced "God Save the Queen" with "O Canada." Ordinarily, most Canadians are indifferent to the monarchy. However the 85-year-old Queen Elizabeth II — William's grandmother — remains Canada's titular head of state, is portrayed on its coins and stamps and has visited 22 times as queen.

"For a new generation of Canadians it's a new introduction for themselves into the monarchy," Moore said.

Sheri Gray, 50, of Manitouwadge, Ontario said her husband and her altered their travel plans so they could take in the royal visit. They arrived early Thursday morning to set up lawn chairs outside Ottawa's National War Memorial, where William and Kate are due to lay a wreath after arriving from the airport.

"My grandma was a big royal family supporter. I can't wait to see Will and Kate," Gray said. "I really liked Diana. It will be really nice to see her son and his new wife."

Her husband David called it a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"It's the next generation. It's like a breath of fresh air for them after the past they've had with the previous ones," he said.

William and Kate will do a walkabout at the memorial before heading to a reception where William and Harper are scheduled to speak. A barbecue for young people follows that.

This royal couple is expected to draw thousands and more than 1,300 journalists are accredited. William got a reception fit for a rock star the last time he visited Canada as a 15-year-old in 1998. He wowed teenage girls who wolf-whistled him when he visited Vancouver, British Columbia, with his father Prince Charles. William looked aghast at the commotion back then. That trip was the first official foreign visit for him since the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.

William will be celebrating Canada's birthday on Friday, the same day his mother would have turned 50.

He is due to say a few words at a number of stops. Kate is not scheduled to speak.

The couple will travel from the sub-Arctic to oil-rich Calgary, Alberta, from busy Montreal to bucolic Prince Edward Island of "Anne of Green Gables" fame. They'll sit around a campfire with young people, dress casual for the Calgary rodeo, join a cookout in Quebec City and hand out flags to newly-minted Canadians at a citizenship ceremony.

Harper is the most pro-monarchy Canadian leader since the 1950s, and his ambition is to foster a national identity that is more conservative and more aware of its historical roots.

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Canada to greet William, Kate with pomp, protests (AFP)

OTTAWA (AFP) – Prince William and new bride Princess Catherine make their international debut Thursday as Britain's royal golden couple, hoping star power will win skeptical Canadians over to the monarchy.

Thousands desperate to glimpse the pair on their first official overseas trip lined the streets of Ottawa ahead of a wreath-laying ceremony at a World War I memorial scheduled for 1835 GMT, shortly after their expected arrival.

While Prince William has plenty of experience of royal duties, his wife, whom he met while studying at Scotland's Saint Andrews University, is still a rookie in the public eye.

At the start of the nine-day tour of the key British Commonwealth nation, Princess Catherine will have an immediate chance to show she has learnt the ropes when she meets and greets the gathering throng after the ceremony.

Prince William's great-grandparents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth unveiled the memorial in 1939 and established a new tradition with the first royal walkabout, stopping to chat with some in the 100,000-strong crowd.

Full of pomp and ceremony, the trip comes just two months after a radiant Kate Middleton walked down the aisle in the wedding-of-the-year, watched by an estimated two billion people worldwide.

The 29-year-old newlyweds flew earlier out of London's Heathrow airport in the morning on a Royal Canadian Air Force jet.

Princess Catherine's outfit featured Canadian and French labels in a move to please her hosts, including those in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, where part of the visit will take place.

She wore a navy blue knee-length Manon dress by French designer Roland Mouret with a navy blazer by Toronto-based Smythe les Vestes, as well as navy Manolo Blahnik Calogera court shoes.

Prince William, second in line to the British throne after his father Prince Charles, was wearing a navy suit and red tie.

Meanwhile, their Canadian fans packed every hotel in sight of the capital. Some even camped overnight on the steps of the war memorial, awakened by Canada's national anthem blared from nearby Parliament Hill where technicians readied sound and stage equipment for Friday's Canada Day celebrations.

"It's symbolic that Canada is the first place they have chosen to visit," said Dave Sencial, who had come all the way from Canada's easternmost Newfoundland province to see the royal couple.

Support for the monarchy hovers above 50 percent in Canada and has risen from last year since the royal nuptials, although there is still a vocal anti-monarchist minority.

In addition to official and military ceremonies, the lengthy royal visit will have its more casual moments, such as a cooking class, an aboriginal sports event and a rodeo.

The initiation of sorts for the British royal family's newest member, also known as the Duchess of Cambridge, will provide vital training for the future queen in the cauldron-like atmosphere of royal walkabouts.

Their first day will kick off with military honors as well as speeches by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Governor General David Johnston and Prince William himself.

Later, the royals are to attend a barbecue with 120 young Canadians at the official residence of the British governor general, Rideau Hall, originally the home of a Scottish stonemason.

On July 1, they cap off their visit to Ottawa celebrating Canada's national holiday, joining tens of thousands outside parliament for musical performances and fireworks.

After taking a cooking class in Montreal on July 2, William and Catherine will travel to Quebec City, Charlottetown, Yellowknife and Calgary.

Prior to their final stop in Canada, the newlyweds, who honeymooned in May in the Seychelles, were expected to sneak away on a romantic getaway to a secluded and undisclosed location in the Rocky Mountains for a day and night.

Their tour of Canada coincides with a grim milestone -- Friday would have been the 50th birthday of Princess Diana, Prince William's mother, who was thronged by fans when she made her own visit to Canada in 1983.

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William's grandmother, is Canada's official head of state but has next-to-no role in the country's governance.

A poll released on the eve of their visit showed one-third of Canadians wish to cut ties with the British monarchy.

Anti-monarchists in the French-speaking independence-leaning province of Quebec added their own event to the royal itinerary, calling for protests when the couple stops in Quebec City on Sunday.

After wrapping up their tour of Canada, the couple will travel to California for three days, July 8-10, for a visit whose highlight will be a black-tie celebrity reception for British filmmakers in Los Angeles.

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