Royal wait almost over
For Sydney’s royal watchers, the wait is almost over; The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with baby George, will touch down in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon for the second leg of their tour down under.
The Royals will fly into Sydney just after 2.30PM, and the first real opportunity for the public to catch a glimpse of them will be at the Sydney Opera House at around 3,15PM when they make their way to their first Australian engagement, an official welcome reception.
Like any other British tourist they will also be heading to the Blue Mountains, on Thursday, but their focus will be on a community devastated by the October bushfires.
On Friday they will be putting the Royal back into the Sydney Easter Show before a visit to Manly and a surf lifesaving display, for the Duchess of Cambridge’s first Aussie beach experience – although there is no guarantee yet it will also be baby George’s.
Their visit to children’s hospice, the bear Cottage, will be a private moment for families like the Stones, and their terminally-ill six-year-old Imogen.
Imogen’s mother, Lynda-Jane, said: “We’ll always be able to look back on this together and its days like this you don’t forget, days that are really special.”
Narelle Amrtin, nursing manager at Bear Cottage, added: “It is very special and we are very excited about the recognition it brings to Bear Cottage.”
After Manly, a final chance for a Sydney royal wave will come on Sunday at Taronga Zoo.
A one-day trip to Brisbane for a city reception and tree-planting at the Amberley RAAF base will break up the Sydney stay.
William and Kate will fly to Uluru in the Northern Territory on April 22, leaving George with his nanny, Maria Borrallo, in Canberra.
While George is expected to accompany his parents on at least one of their Aussie outings, Kensington Palace has not released details of his appearances and there are likely to be limited opportunities to see the third in line to the British throne.
The royal couple are also due to travel to Adelaide to visit the suburb of Elizabeth - so named after the Queen in 1955 - before returning to Canberra to see the National Portrait Gallery and Parliament House.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott will host William and Kate at a Parliament House reception during their stay, before they fly home after attending a commemorative service on Anzac Day.
Melbourne - not without some controversy - will miss out altogether on a regal visit.
While Kate and George are making their Australian debut, William has been a visitor three times before, starting with a 1983 visit as a babe-in-arms with his parents, Prince Charles and Diana.
And like every royal tour, Their Royal Highnesses will be accompanied by a hefty entourage, including royal adviser Sir David Manning, private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge, Miguel Head and private secretary to the Duchess of Cambridge, Rebecca Deacon.
Also in the travelling party are three press officers, a tour secretary, a personal assistant, a hairdresser, an orderly and nanny Ms Borrallo.
Often lauded for her sense of style, Kate is expected to reveal a high-end designer wardrobe for her visit, with European house Catherine Walker reportedly high on her list of favoured designers.
