Prince Charles and Camilla wave to the crowd greeting them outside the B.C. legislature Friday. (CBC) Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, have arrived in British Columbia.
The royal couple arrived under showery skies in Victoria, met by B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.
Charles and Camilla will spend four days in B.C. as part of their 11-day cross-Canada tour, and with more rain in the forecast, they will likely get a real West Coast experience.
The royal couple were later welcomed at the provincial legislature — the main public event during their stay in B.C. and likely the best chance for the public to greet the two.
In his brief remarks outside the legislature, the prince made reference to the "rush for gold" that Canada would be engaged in at the Olympics "in less than 100 days" and said he was anxious to meet some athletes competing at the Games.
"I need hardly say that my wife and I are greatly looking forward to visiting Vancouver," he said.
On Saturday, they will do just that, flying to Vancouver for a tour of the Olympic Village site, where they will be greeted by aboriginal drummers.
In the afternoon, the Prince of Wales will meet members of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, while the Duchess of Cornwall will plant a tree at the VanDusen Botanical Garden.
Prince Charles addresses the hundreds of people who turned out to greet him in Victoria. (CBC) Charles will then visit the InspireHealth facility, while Camilla will tour the osteoporosis mobility unit at Vancouver General Hospital.
Sustainable interest
Charles will later join in on a seminar on sustainable urbanism — one of his long-running personal interests — at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, before he and his wife return to Victoria for an evening reception at Government House co-hosted by Lt-Gov. Steven L. Point and Premier Gordon Campbell.
On Sunday, the royal couple will attend a remembrance service at Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria. On Monday, the two will head to CFB Esquimalt, west of Victoria, for a morning ceremony before departing in the afternoon for Ottawa.
The trip, which began Monday and ends Nov. 12, is the 15th visit to Canada for Charles and the first for Camilla.
