The Duke of Cambridge put his military training to the test today with his first helicopter water landing before cheering crowds in Canada.
Prince William climbed into the cockpit of a Sea King helicopter at Dalvay by-the-Sea, a scenic resort along Prince Edward Island’s north shore.
William, a Royal Air Force rescue helicopter pilot, requested the simulated emergency landing procedure as part of his visit.Dressed in an olive flight suit and helmet, the prince co-piloted a demonstration round to give him an idea of the single-engine emergency landing procedure.
From the water, William piloted a take-off from the water and hovered in the air before executing a dual-engine landing on the water before taxiing around as the Duchess of Cambridge watched from the ground. William performed the take-off, hover and dual-engine water landing several times.
Canada is the only country that trains its Sea King helicopter pilots to do a controlled landing on water should there be an emergency. The Sea King, which William flies back in Britain, has the ability to land on water because of its amphibious hull.
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Before taking to the water, though, the royal couple were welcomed to their third Canadian province on Monday with cheering, waving crowds excited to catch a glimpse of royalty at Povince House.
The site is the home of Prince Edward Island’s legislature and of a historic meeting 146 years ago that paved the way for Confederation, when Canada laid the foundation for uniting the provinces and territories to form a country.
The Duchess sported a cream dress by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, who designed the wedding grown she wore during their wedding ceremony April 29. William wore his traditional dark suit and red tie.
For the third time during their nine-day Canadian tour, William spoke in French and English to address the crowds.
“We have both so looked forward to this day, and discovering more about your beautiful island,” he said.
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Later today it will be a race to the finish for the couple as each takes the helm of a rival dragon boat and tries to steer it to victory.
They will continue to develop their own unstuffy brand of royal style, as the latest leg of their tour to Canada includes competing to steer rival boats full of labouring oarsmen across a lake in the province of Prince Edward Island. With a stiff breeze and blustery rain setting in, they may not escape a soaking.
After congratulating the winning team, the couple will be welcomed by First Nations people with a traditional Mi’kmaq smudging ceremony, a process akin to blessing with holy water, led by Darlene Bernard, the Lennox Island First Nation Chief, and Brian Francis, the Abegweit First Nation Chief.
The first four days of the royal couple’s trip around the Commonwealth country has taken them to the bustling cities of Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec but today has taken them out of the city to some of Canada’s most picturesque spots.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived on Prince Edward Island last night and were welcomed to Charlottetown, the island’s capital city, by a piping band and several hundred people.
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They attended a private reception last night. Their first engagement of the morning was at Province House in Charlottetown where they met “Founder Fathers” in period costume, and learned to their obvious pleasure that a charitable trust was being set up in their honour. The Duke gave a speech, swapping between English and French in deference to his partly Francophone audience.
Afterwards the couple enjoyed a carriage ride and took part in a walkabout, shaking hands and exchanging compliments with an enthusiastic crowd. They were serenaded with different types of music from the Maritime provinces, including Acadian, Celtic and First Nations, and invited to sample the local delicacies - chocolate covered potato crisps and the region’s famous lobster.
Later the relaxed, community atmosphere is expected to continue when the Duke and Duchess join youngsters playing beach sports on the dunes. They will then be taken to Summerside to meet officers from the Canadian Force’s search and rescue unit, as well as members of their families and people saved by the service.
At the end of the day the Royal Canadian Air Force will take them on their longest trip within the country to the remote city of Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories, which is above 60 degrees latitude so the sun is unlikely to set during their stay.
The newlyweds’ nine day trip to Canada is part of their first official overseas trip since their wedding on April 29. They encountered small but vocal protests by separatists in predominantly French-speaking Quebec, and demonstrations in Montreal.
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Undeterred, Prince William and Kate charmed the Quebeckers with an unexpected walkabout, walking up to the crowd barricade and chatting and shaking hands with enthusiastic supporters near City Hall, before leaving by motorcade.
“What they’ve seen in Quebec, in Montreal the last two days is, for them, just part of the rich fabric of Canada and in no way detracts from how much they respect and admire the country,” said Miguel Head, the couple’s spokesman.
They leave on July 8 for a short visit to California.