Royal couple at Rideau Hall for a ceremonial tree-planting

OTTAWA – Prince William and Kate are at Rideau Hall for a ceremonial tree-planting ceremony with guests who got married on the same date as they did.

The small gathering at the Governor General’s residence stands in contrast to the massive crowds that cheered the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at every turn during their first two days in Canada.

More than 50 people had already gathered outside the main gate of Rideau Hall in the bright sunshine more than an hour before the ceremony.

The tree which is, in fact, already planted is a Canadian hemlock, which is intended to symbolize the royal couple’s love and marriage.

Invited guests included people who got married on April 29, as did William and Kate, and couples celebrating 50th anniversary milestones.

There’s even one couple that’s celebrating 70 years of marriage.

After the ceremony, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are going to the Canadian War Museum for a reception with veterans, war brides and families. About 200 people had started waiting outside the museum several hours before their arrival.

The couple will take part in a walk-through of the galleries, a painting and plaque unveiling and book signing before heading to the airport.

After arriving in Montreal Saturday afternoon, they’ll visit the Sainte-Justine University (Children’s) Hospital Centre to view displays and meet with children and parents.

They’ll later get to hone their culinary skills at the Quebec Tourism and Hotel Institute, where they will attend a cooking workshop and reception.

The couple will be sampling from dishes highlighting the province’s cultures and local wines. Among the items on the menu for the four-course meal include Quebec foie gras on a toasted brioche served with apple cider jelly, loin of Charlevoix lamb, and Iles de la Madeleine lobster.

Polishing off the meal for dessert will be a white cloud likened to a fresh cheesecake with maple caramel, feathery meringue and biscuit.

The royals are slated to dine with Quebec Premier Jean Charest and his wife Michele.

The couple’s visit is expected to be met by protests outside by Quebec sovereigntists. At least a pair of demonstrations are expected during the William and Kate’s two-day swing through the province, where there is a strong anti-monarchist sentiment.

Kate and William will wrap up Saturday by boarding the HMCS Montreal, where they’ll set sail for Quebec City.

On Friday, they were the highlight of the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill. Throngs of cheering supporters erupted with delight when the landau bearing the royal couple rolled into view.

The din and smoke from a 21-gun salute filled the streets before the prince and his wife stood alongside the Centennial Flame, the band playing the national anthem and “God Save the Queen.”

In a brief speech in both English and French, William told hundreds of thousands of well-wishers that Canada should be “immensely proud” of its successes and sacrifices on the battlefields of Afghanistan.

He also brought greetings from his grandmother, “the Queen of Canada,” who he said has warm, abiding memories of her own visit last year, and described his wife Kate’s own interest in the country, her pilot grandfather having trained in Alberta.

Kate didn’t take to microphone to address the massive crowd estimated to number more than 300,000 but made a statement with her stylish Canada Day ensemble.

The duchess came decked out in Canadian colours, wearing a cream dress by Reiss, the Queen’s Maple Leaf brooch and a brilliant red fascinator adorned with maple leaves by Sylvia Fletcher at Lock and Co.

Charlottetown, Yellowknife and Calgary are the other upcoming stops on the royal tour. The couple will leave will leave for California on July 8.

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