I was not nearly as close to Prince Charles as the first picture would imply. He chose the opposite side of the street on the walkabout and I had to crane my neck to see him, but I managed to get a good shot between people's shoulders and my new cell phone has a very nice camera with high resolution so it looks like he was right next to me.
The Duchess, though, really was very close. (She prefers the title "Duchess of Cambridge" instead of "Princess of Wales".) She walked down my side of the street shaking lots of hands, including mine! That was a thrill. She seemed to want to greet as many people as possible, so no real conversation -- she said "hello" and I said "welcome" and then she was on to the next person. She had a nice smile and it was exciting to see her so close.
Even though I didn't see Prince Charles close up I could see the way he was interacting with people. He stopped for fewer people than the Duchess did, but seemed to be having little conversations with them. He had a way of leaning forward with a very intent, interested expression on his face as though he really cared about what they were saying.
By the time they arrived I had struck up an acquaintance with many people standing near me and we all agreed that the choice of light colored clothing was really helpful, as it helped us spot the guests of honor in the midst of the sea of security people and dignitaries who were all in dark suits!
OK, now that that you've seen the pictures, here are a few more details for anyone who wants to keep reading...
Prince Charles and Camilla crossed the pond to help celebrate Canada's 150th birthday on Saturday, July 1. They were in Ottawa on that day, of course, but on the day before they made an appearance in Wellington, Ontario, about 100 km from where we live, and that's where I took these pictures.
I have been a fan of the British royal family for many years, from back before I ever expected to be living in a Commonwealth country. I admire the Queen very much and was thrilled to have a chance to see her near Kingston during her trip to Canada in 1984, shortly after we moved to Kingston. In spite of all the horrible publicity Prince Charles has endured since then I'm also very interested in his career. I'm fascinated by what it must be like to be the heir to an ancient throne in this modern era and I've read a lot about him and admire him for the hard work he's been doing for years. One of the things I found the most interesting in my reading was the fact that he has used his position as Duke of Cornwall (a secondary title of each Prince of Wales) to promote organic and sustainable farming practices. He converted his large farm there to organic farming and invites farmers to visit and learn about the methods used there. I admire him for using his influence to help promote a safer and more natural way of producing food. This interest in sustainability and eating locally is one of the reasons Prince Charles decided to visit Prince Edward County, the home of many organic farms and vineyards. He visited the Wellington Farmer's Market and also at least one winery, but only the former was a public appearance.
Another reason to have picked Prince Edward County is that it's named after a Prince Edward who was one of the many sons of George III and lived in Canada for many years as the commander of the British military forces there. He was also the father of Queen Victoria, which makes him an ancestor of Prince Charles -- through his mother Queen Elizabeth, of course, but also through Prince Philip who is himself a descendant of Queen Victoria along a different line.
Prince Edward County is a large peninsula that extends into Lake Ontario. It has beautiful fresh-water beaches and pretty little towns, including Wellington, and is a favorite day trip for many residents of Kingston. So I was looking forward to a nice drive out to see the royal visitors. Wellington is a small town on the opposite side of Prince Edward County from us and has a lovely farmer's market. It normally is only in business on Saturdays, but they set up a special Friday market just for the Prince to see. When we visit the area we usually meander over by way of a cute small ferry, but in view of the expected crowds I used one of the bridges from the much more boring highway 401. Not as fun a drive, but no traffic jams or long waits for the ferry.
I was disappointed to wake up on Friday to find that the weather forecast had been correct and it was grey and miserable and raining. I considered giving up on my plan to drive all the way out there,but decided to go anyway and hope for the best. The drive out was dreary, but just as I parked the car (in a very waterlogged unpaved country parking lot) the rain stopped and by the time the royal couple arrived the sun was out. I'm really glad I decided to take a chance and go!
On Friday morning, before the Wellington visit, Charles & Camilla visited Canadian Forces Base Trenton. For my family in the U.S. and anyone else who might happen to read this and not be familiar with this area, here's a quick geography lesson. Trenton, Ontario is roughly halfway between Kingston and Toronto. The Trenton military base holds the same importance as Andrews Air Force base in the U.S. because when a soldier dies in action their body is taken to Trenton for the "repatriation" ceremony. Highway 401 between Toronto and Trenton is now officially called the "Highway of Heros" for this reason. So the base was an important place for Prince Charles to visit -- not just as a royal but as someone who served the British military for years.
Prince Edward County is a large peninsula that stretches into Lake Ontario from the Canadian side near Trenton. Here is a map to explain this better (you can click on it to see the details better):
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