I am oddly fascinated by the protocol involved with a royal trip abroad. From what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of back-and-forth between embassies, governments, staffers and PR flaks about where the royals should be sent, where they want to go, what sites they will visit and how much money should be spent. I’m still sort of flabbergasted that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Australia & New Zealand tour felt so disorganized two years ago, although their Bhutan/India tour this year felt hyper-managed to a crazy degree.
While the royal propagandists would have you believe that William and Kate bring tourism and more to every place they visit, their tours definitely feel more like taxpayer-funded vacations more than anything else. So what do you make of this? Canada’s gorgeous prime minister Justin Trudeau has already put a very public request for Will and Kate to come to Canada next year, and he’s also asking that they bring the babies.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte may be making a trip across the pond! Royal parents Prince William and Princess Kate have been invited to Canada – and the kids are invited, too. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked the royal couple to visit as the country prepares for its 150th birthday celebrations in 2017.
If they accept the invitation to head to Canada, it will be the second time Will and Kate have visited. The country was the destination of their first royal tour in summer 2011, not long after their April wedding.
“The Prime Minister certainly has invited William and Kate and family to come to Canada whenever they are available on their schedule,” Kate Purchase, the Prime Minister’s director of communications, told the Globe and Mail. Trudeau’s office is awaiting a response and news on what destinations the couple might visit if they head across the Atlantic.
If their visit is confirmed, it is seen as part of the lead-up to next year’s celebrations that will peak around July 1 – the 150th anniversary of the formation of the Dominion of Canada. The couple’s office at Kensington Palace is not commenting on the possible trip, telling PEOPLE that they don’t have anything to announce.
Prince Harry made quick trip to Canada in May (sharing a high-powered summit with the world’s hottest Prime Minister!) to announce the location of the next Invictus Games, which will be held in Toronto.
“The couple’s office at Kensington Palace is not commenting on the possible trip, telling PEOPLE that they don’t have anything to announce.” That’s kind of rude! I get the feeling that Trudeau might have spoken out of turn, or jumped the gun a little bit with this public confirmation that he’s requested the Cambridges. That being said, Trudeau can do whatever he wants. He’s the prime minister and they’re just Bill and Cathy, Normal Country Folk. When PM Trudeau requests your audience, you go. Trudeau should have requested Prince Harry though, just because Harry is the best.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
That sounds less like he made an invitation and more like the office got asked by the media and said “sure, they’re welcome to drop by anytime”. Very Canadian.
Everyone is invited to our 150th of course…but dammit bring Harry! 😊
Harry will be here for Invictus Games anyway in 2017.
So what you’re saying is that I need to plan a vacation? FINE. Twist my arm… 😉
He should request Prince Harry bring his niece and nephew.
They aren’t really his niece and nephew.
Ugh. Trudeau treats being PM like it’s a big party and he gets to hang out with all the cool kids.
Yes because publicly championing the rights of the LGBTQ community, opening our doors to thousands of migrants, trying to make Canada more environmentally responsible and many many more things I could name are the actions of a footloose and free party boy. Just because he’s not a miserable, ugly no fun troll doesn’t mean he won’t be a good Prime Minister.
Let’s also not forget speaking out about the violence against aboriginal women in Canada and those that have gone missing…. But yeah, he’s probably just been taking shots this whole time.
I normally support Trudeau but not on this request. We don’t need Will and Kate to visit and it’s not like they really give a crap about Canadians anyway. I resent my tax dollars funding a useless visit.
Trudeau going to Pride was great… This not so much.
@Nic919 I totally agree with what you said!
I co-sign, we don’t need them to pay a visit.
You do know that it isn’t really him that is making the calls, credit is due to those that stand behind him, and dictate what face the liberals need to make to stay in favor.
He is the party prime minister. Personally I don’t trust that the liberals will actually DO anything but I admire the lip service they are paying to the issues raised during the election.
@Nic919
I agree with you. I don’t want one cent of my money going to these tow useless twits! Justin will get an very angry letter fro me if this happens.
Yup, as a recently landed immigrant, let me just give my thanks for this wonderful opportunity to escape oppression and brutality.
On another note, I doubt anyone needs those two puppets. Prince Harry is a different matter! 😛
+1
A big ol’ nepotism party.
I thought protocol was you invite the Queen and she decides the representative(s) sent. Because if is a state visit, you invite the Queen as she’s the actual head? But if it’s a tax payer paid vacation/tour and not a state visit is it OK to request the people you want?
^This.
Usually for the “big” events you invite HRH. If she is unavailable, which is likely due to her age now, the Firm will decide who to send. I would think it will actually be Charles & Camilla for the 150 as they rank higher.
Although, I can see why having the whole Cambridge family would be a PR attraction.
It won’t be Harry as the next Invictus games are here.
Pedantic, but it needs to be said.
HM not HRH. She has been a monarch since 1952. She’s a Queen, Her Majesty, not a mere Her Royal Highness.
Not to ” reign on your parade” Blue, but it’s” Her Majesty” (H.M) Queen Elizabeth. She hasn’t been a HRH since her father was King. It may be that C&C rank higher as senior Royals, but would the crowds turn out for them? They definitely would for that precious and awesome George and sweet baby Charlotte.
I’m not sure why the request is presumptuous. They are our monarchy too.
It’d be rude for the crown not to send *someone*
Who doesn’t bother to show up for their own kid’s birthday party? Don’t leave Canada sitting alone in a party hat
Liking this image.
I’m sure a Royal couple will be going, it’s just the Court Calendar is waiting for the scheduling details. Canada won’t be” sitting alone”. Don’t you worry about that .
“Prince Harry made quick trip to Canada in May (sharing a high-powered summit with the world’s hottest Prime Minister!)” >>>>> There are pics of both Trudeau and Prince Harry in same shot? Where was I? How did I miss these? Excuse me while I do some Googling (and then drooling).
Be still my beating heart…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/video_previews/f/5/f5nzu5mze65ndaqrwgbc9uuouwst0my-large.jpg
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/4278700/thumbs/o-JUSTIN-TRUDEAU-PRINCE-HARRY-570.jpg
That second picture is awesome! Thanks for finding that
It’s a great photo! It’s just a really fun, cute moment.
Eh…what ‘schedules’ do they have?
Good point.
I saw it as some unintentional shade.
Justin, you’ve been good at shining positive PR back onto Canada after the ‘Harper Government,’ but please don’t ramp up the security costs needed to bring these two here when Harry is already around for Invictus.
They won’t come here because then they’d be “expected” to go wherever they are invited (i.e. Handing out shamrocks to the Irish Guards).
Justin Trudeau is way too cool to hang out with two bland basic tricks like Normal Bill and Cathy. Now, Harry, on the other hand…yeah.
lol…………………..I’m sure Kate will encourage William to accept the invitation – the highlight for her will be to flirt with a handsome intelligent man! (and you know I don’t mean William!)
MTE!! I don’t know why I neglected this thread all day, but my first thought at the headline was “I’m sure Kate will jump at that!” I mean, why wouldn’t she want to be escorted around Canada by baby-face Trudeau? What, literally, what else does she have to do?
Forget Katie Bucket and the Potato Head – CANADA WANTS HARRY!
Edward and Sophie were just here. I saw their Royal Protection Officers on the street when they were visiting a local theatre that Edward’s the patron of.
I just don’t get the whole “royal family” thing. That’s what Britain should have voted to get rid of. #nooffense
Omg I love it. I’m cracking up over here.
On another note… I have a serious crush on Trudeau… he’s my numero uno right now.
I’m going to jump in right here with another one of my possibly ignorant comments. . . but if Brexit results in the breakup of the UK, if Scotland and Northern Ireland take a powder (a fabulous phrase I learned watching HBO’s Carnivale), won’t the RF start to seem especially absurd?
Yes they would. But, I am hoping Harry saves it and be King!
I don’t understand why he’s asking them to come, when Harry will be there for the Invictus Games. Why would Canada want to pay for 2 separate royal contingents to come during the same month? And even if they came, I seriously doubt they are bringing those kids. How will they be able to enjoy themselves on their taxpayer vacation?
No. Undo this! I don’t want my tax dollars funding one of their pointless trips. Save it for important world leaders.
Exactly. It’s not like they have shown any interest in Canadian issues and we can spend our tax dollars on better people and causes, like the Syrian refugees.
We all get how much this drives tourism and our profile, though, right? With the crazy low Canadian dollar we are an enticing place to travel to for Americans. I’m all for that.
The official tourism agencies for the UK admit that the royals do not bring any net benefit to tourism. Why assume that bringing W&K over would help Canadian tourism? Canada has plenty of appeal without the two biggest scroungers in the BRF getting another free vacation off Canadian taxpayers.
There is no evidence that Canada has ever received additional tourism dollars because of any royal visit. They came in 2011 and only a few Canadians got to meet them at the various cities they went to. There are no Royal palaces here to visit.
We are going to get Americans checking us out in case of a potential Trump presidency, and that will bring in far more tourism money than a few sugars stalking Will and Kate.
Can’t understand why anyone would want the Normaltons to visit. Harry would be a much better bet for publicising all that is positive about Canada. At least he wouldn’t have to send an advanced party to coordinate the scenery to his wardrobe.
Tshhhhhhhhhhh, he should have invited Harry.
A Kate and Will visit sounds very expensive. Gak.
Do people in Canada like him? I only see bad press in America that makes him look douchey.
Speaking for myself only, I do not like him at all! He is the face of some good things the party is doing, but it is the party advisers making the decisions on what happens in this country, not him. I think he tries to be like his Father and fails; He is PM Selfie and hotness should not be your claim to the PM chair. He is a terrible public speaker/interviewee and it embarrasses me. (My husband who is a political junkie says I should totally be a Liberal politically but I can’t while he is the leader. No, I am not a conservative these days, Harper was evil) If we had anyone else as the leader of the Liberal party and therefore our PM, I would be much happier.
Harry will be here for Invictus, so why not hang with the royal who wants to meet people and bring good to the world? HONKS FOR HARRY!
@ LAB I agree.
I also think that no party should hold majority and we shot ourselves in the foot giving the liberals a majority hold along with the conservatives as the official opposition. The reason Trudeau became the party leader is because the liberals got smart after Ignatieff et all and hired some serious campaign strategists. He tracked the best and got nom. So now we are stuck with the selfie taking party prime minister, mark my words, the liberals will be slow to make good on anything that was stated i.e., electoral reforms, environmental reforms etc..
Anyhow who cares about the monarchy? Seriously.. they need to retire already.
My Canadian friends and family are all very happy to have him in office. They’re fans, as am I, of what he stands for and how quickly he’s been making things happen, as well as his charisma.
I’ve never seen any bad press on him. Everyone loves him – he seems to do no wrong.
Any majority parliament is a problem, much as it was under Harper/the Conservatives, but the reason people gave the Liberals this surprise majority was that they were so passionate about booting Harper out and did not want to split the vote. We reap what we sow. It’s still better. I see it as being under the bell curve for Canadian politics once again – cronyism, corruption, but still some better effort.
I didn’t vote for him or his party, but I am actually pleasantly surprised with Trudeau thus far.
As a Canadian, I don’t care much for him. He’s more concerned about taking selfies with celebs than doing anything substantial to improve our country’s finances . His plan is to run up a huge deficit to stimulate the economy. His plan of a $10 billion deficit has now run up to $29 billion. Good looks, good charisma but not much economic intelligence.
Yes, I agree! HONK for Harry!
Canada is part of the Common Wealth so I don’t think its out of turn to request a visit from the Royal Family on its 150th birthday, but ya Harry is great!
Another young British couple wanting to get out before Brexit.
Good one! But we all know they have no marketable skills, would fill no jobs that Canadians can’t already do, and wouldn’t score high enough on our points-based immigration application to qualify for even a work visa, much less citizenship.
And their French skills suck too.
True. Oh well. Now, who wants the satisfaction of stamping REJECTED on their application?
Ha! William might have an opinion on Brexit but, I really doubt that Kate is even aware of Brexit.
Also, these two only work when told to and only seem enthusiastic if there are major celebrities to meet and I doubt our major celebrities want to meet the Doolittles.
Pretty sure this wouldn’t have come out unless it was a fait de complis. Justin has moved in these circles since he was a little one himself.
BTW, I can see photo ops of both families’ children playing together, happening.
Hadrian Trudeau is much cuter than George and Charlotte. No way they want the comparison made. And all the Trudeau kids are bilingual.
If there is pushback from the Canadian public, this won’t be a ” fait accompli”.
I disagree, protocol completely mitigates against an impromptu royal invitation.
I have yet to hear any substantial pushback from Canadians on the monarchy. They’re symbolic of history and largely tolerated with benign indifference.
Thanks for correcting my auto-correct.
It’s obvious by the Cambridges he really means George (the real star ) and Charlotte. Lol But the BRF should send someone to recognize such a milestone in a major commonwealth nation.
Prince Charles and Camilla are supposed to attend the 150th celebration on Canada Day and probably because the Queen is too old to travel. We don’t need Will and Kate to show up.
Besides, many Canadians who don’t have British ancestry may think that 150 years old is a good time to start thinking of turfing the foreign monarchy.
I am sure these 2 wastes of space would be happy to show up once their list of demands have been met. What is Justin thinking???? They have no gravitas and no interest in Canada. I don’t want my tax dollars paying for their next luxury vacation. I’m gobsmacked and NOT happy.
Im all for my tax money being spent on this if it means more cute George pictures.
Trudeau is the Hadid/Jenner PM.
It would have been impossible for a Justin Smith to become the Liberal leader with Trudeau’s work experience. His last name made it possible for him.
He’s extremely good when everything is rehearsed but his inexperience shows whenever there isn’t a script to rely on.