Prince William and Duchess Kate are off to charm Paris
Prince William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge arrived in Paris on Friday, lighting up the City of Light with their special charm and hoping to soothe some of the wounded feelings from the bitter Brexit vote.
Their two- day visit might be slightly dimmer because of the absence of their cute kids — Prince George, 3, and Princess Charlotte, who turns 2 in May — but the usually glowing presence of the Duchess of Cambridge, 35, was expected to make up for it.
This is their first official visit as a couple to Paris, and William’s first official visit since his mother, Princess Diana, died there in a car crash in a traffic tunnel in 1997, when she was 36.
The couple started Friday with the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade of the Irish Guards ( Will, 34, is a colonel in the Guards) at their barracks in London. There, as is customary, they distributed shamrocks to the Guards, had lunch and petted the Guards’ mascot, a towering Irish wolfhound named Domhnall.
The couple later headed for Paris, where they met with French President François Hollande at the Élysée Palace.
Their schedule includes possibilities for striking photos, including a visit to Les Invalides ( where Napoleon’s impressive tomb is located), where they will meet victims and first responders from the Bataclan and Nice terrorist attacks, and to the Musée d’Orsay to see its unparalleled collection of French Impressionist paintings, some of which are headed to London later this year for an exhibit at the Tate Gallery.
Also on their schedule are the usual black- tie dinners and embassy receptions, where they will meet young French leaders from the arts, sport, fashion, business and charities, as well as young military award winners, according to Kensington Palace. They also will attend the Wales vs. France Six Nations rugby match at the Stade du France — Will’s first match since he assumed patronage of the Welsh Rugby Union since Queen Elizabeth II stepped down as patron in December.
Now that politicians and voters are taking Britain out of the European Union trailing recriminations on both sides of the English Channel, the popular British royals are being sent to the Continent to help ensure relations remain relatively friendly.
In a speech Friday at the British Embassy, Prince William said the “deep friendship between the United Kingdom and France, forged in sweat and blood, is one that will endure.”
“This partnership will continue despite Britain’s recent decision to leave the European Union,” he said. “The depth of our friendship and the breadth of our cooperation will not change.”
Besides Paris, Will and Kate are also scheduled to visit Poland and Germany in July.
Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are headed to Romania, Italy, the Vatican and Austria at the end of March for a weeklong goodwill tour, which will include the couple’s first meeting with Pope Francis.