The Prince is undertaking a two-day whirlwind tour in his wife's stead. Accompanied by Kate's private secretary Rebecca Deacon and adviser Sir David Manning, William was all smiles upon arrival. As Kate's right-hand woman Rebecca would have played a huge role in planning and preparation for the trip; it seemed prudent for her to join William.
The visit was expected to be Kate's first solo trip abroad, but became unlikely following the announcement Kate is pregnant and is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum. The Duchess consulted with doctors before finally deciding she was too unwell to go. How is Kate feeling now? When asked William replied the Duchess is 'doing so-so, a bit up and down at the moment'. He also spoke of Prince George "Malta might not survive George. There are too many nice things here".
William apologised to the crowd: "I'm sorry you've got me instead of Catherine". Looking at this photo I think they were pretty pleased :)
The Palace said William is "honoured" to represent his grandmother for the visit, which marks the 50th anniversary of the island's independence from the UK. Malta holds a very special place in Her Majesty's heart, as she and Prince Philip enjoyed many happy carefree months there when Philip was stationed with the Royal Navy.
Clarence House shared images of crowds in Valletta awaiting William's arrival.
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| Clarence House |
There was a fantastic atmosphere and according to onlookers everyone was incredibly excited to see William.
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| Clarence House Twitter Feed |
William's first port of call was San Anton Palace where he will be staying for the duration of the visit. He met with the President of Malta, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca.
Planting a tree at San Anton Palace.
The Prince viewed a re-enactment of an historical event - the inspection of the fort and garrison by Grand Bailiff of the Order of the Knights of St John.
Next, he travelled to the National Library where he viewed historical documents, including letters from kings Henry VIII and George II, and the original citation awarding the George Cross to Malta.
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| The British Monarchy Flickr |
Prince William gave a speech and spoke of Kate:
'While I know that you were not expecting me until a few days ago, I must admit I feel honoured to be able to represent Her Majesty in a country so beloved by her.
Catherine has asked me to say how very sorry she is that she couldn't be the one to pass on The Queen's greetings to you all. She was looking forward to coming here, and I know she hopes very much that she will be able to visit in the future.'
Later, Prince William attended Independence Day Celebrations at Upper Barrakka Gardens.
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| Wikipedia |
It was a memorable evening set against the backdrop of the Grand Harbour.
Day one of the visit has been tremendously successful so far. The Maltese are very pleased to have William there, and as expected, he's doing a splendid job representing Her Majesty. It would, of course, have been wonderful to see Kate there. One imagines it's a visit she would have enjoyed and will be sad to have missed out on.
Day one of the visit has been tremendously successful so far. The Maltese are very pleased to have William there, and as expected, he's doing a splendid job representing Her Majesty. It would, of course, have been wonderful to see Kate there. One imagines it's a visit she would have enjoyed and will be sad to have missed out on.
From William's own words, regarding his wife 'feeling so-so', there's no doubt the Duchess made the right decision.
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Our other topic today concerns a wedding William and Kate were expected to attend. Yesterday the couple's close friends Charlie Gilkes and Anneke von Trotha Taylor said I do at the stunning Carlo V Castle on the seafront in Monopoli, Italy.
While William was preparing for his Malta trip, Prince Harry flew over for the big day.
Kate's family were there too. Below we see Carole and Pippa Middleton with Pippa's boyfriend Nico Jackson and James Middleton's girlfriend Donna Air.
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| Mic Borrollo Twitter Feed |
Pippa chose a beautiful pink and purple dress by Tabitha Webb which looked splendid on her. It would have been very interesting to see what Kate would have worn.
We'll be continuing our coverage of William's tour tomorrow!
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