Royal Visit Canada: the Cambridges wave goodbye

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children wave goodbye to Canada

(photo Kensington Palace Twitter)

It all ended as it began, with a family of four. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said farewell to Canada after an eight day visit with a quick walk in the autumn sunshine and then a trip by seaplane as they started their journey home. Royal Visit Canada is over.

Royal Wardrobe Canada: the end

The Duchess of Cambridge does monochrome on the final day of her visit to Canada

(photo Kensington Palace Instagram)

And then we came to the end. After eight days, dozens of changes and plenty of colour, Royal Visit Canada faded to white as the Duchess of Cambridge went pale and interesting for the final part of her latest tour. We got skinny trousers, lots of pale and a rather striking pair of check shoes. Here's the final installment of Royal Wardrobe Canada.

Royal Visit Canada, day eight: the last engagements

The Duchess of Cambridge in Victoria on the last day of Royal Visit Canada

(photo Crown in Canada Twitter)

As Royal Visit Canada comes to an end, William and Kate have reminded everyone that some things are the same wherever you go. Their final engagements of this tour included work focused on mental health issues, underlining their commitment to the subject which has been a priority for them now for some time.

Royal Wardrobe Canada: day seven

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit a hospital in Haida Gwaii on day seven of Royal Visit Canada

(photo Crown in Canada Twitter)

This royal visit to Canada has given us plenty of what we expected from the double appearance (so far) of the famous Maple Leaf brooch to lots of red in homage to the host country's national colour. But it's also given us some surprises and one of those is a general feeling that the Duchess of Cambridge is changing her style tack. Everything's slightly more, well, traditional royal with a Kate stamp on it rather than pure Kate effect with some nods to regal customs. If the visit to Canada in 2011 was her debut as a duchess, then 2016 marks a milestone in Kate's evolution as leading royal lady.

Royal Visit Canada, day seven: paddling towards the end

All at sea - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arriving in Haida Gwaii on day seven of their tour

(photo Crown in Canada Twitter)

On the penultimate day of their Royal Tour of Canada, Kate and William got paddling. The royal couple arrived in Haida Gwaii by boat and pulling their weight. It started off a day of heritage and health talk as Royal Visit Canada moves towards its end.

Royal Wardrobe Canada: day six

The Kate Effect was knocked for six by George and Charlotte

(photo Crown in Canada Twitter)

For once, did anyone really notice the outfit the Duchess of Cambridge had on? From George's bubbles to Charlotte's cuddles, day six was all about Kate's kids. But in honour of the tour and the fact that it's always interesting to analyse what the Duchess of Cambridge donned, here's a look at the dress from day six. And the wedges. Well, you didn't really think we'd get through eight days of appearances without a visit from the dreaded wedges, did you? Luckily, the cuteness factor of the whole day outweighed them. Here's the bit of Royal Wardrobe Canada you didn't actually notice.

Royal Visit Canada, day six: Charlotte gets cuddly

Princess Charlotte and her new best friend at a children's party in Victoria

(photo Kensington Palace Instagram)

Let's face it, this one doesn't need that many words. Prince George and Princess Charlotte accompanied their parents to a party for military families at Government House, Victoria, British Columbia and looked very cute indeed. And then Charlotte got all cuddly with a rabbit and George went pony riding. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge might have thirty engagements on this tour but you just know what everyone will remember first from Royal Visit Canada.

Prince George blowing bubbles (photo album)

Embed from Getty Images

It's already an iconic photo and it's not yet an hour old. Prince George played with bubbles at a children's party today - pretty normal for a three year old but when you're also a future king, each image is jostling for a place in the history books and these have won a spot and then some. George, king in waiting and happy boy at play with dreams flying high as those pretty bubbles.

Royal Wardrobe Canada, day five: seeing red, again

The Duchess of Cambridge in red for day five of her visit to Canada

(photo Crown in Canada Twitter)

It's always good to give a nod to your hosts and the Duchess of Cambridge has been a most considerate guest on her second tour of Canada. We've had two appearances from the Maple Leaf brooch already with days still to go before home time and now we've got a hat trick of red outfits as Kate makes the most of Canada's national colour in her tour wardrobe. Here's day five of Royal Wardrobe, Canada.

Royal Visit Canada, day five: shivering in the steam

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge going back to the future on a visit to Whitehorse on day five of their tour of Canada

(photo Kensington Palace Twitter)

Day five, bring out the coats. After a chilly night in Whitehorse at the end of day four, the next part of William and Kate's trip to Canada kept up the freeze factor and saw steam coming out of royal ears. Get ready to shiver, it's day five of Royal Visit Canada.

Royal Visit Canada Wardrobe: day four

The duchess dazzles in green on day four of her visit to Canada

(photo Crown in Canada Twitter)

Kate was the queen of green on day four of her latest tour of Canada. For a day of engagements that went from sunshine to shivering, she chose two green looks that kept it simple but won on style.

Royal Visit Canada, day four

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on day four of their visit to Canada

(photo UBC Twitter)

After the rain, some sunshine. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge more than made up for the partially rained off schedule of day three with an action packed itinerary as they travelled between British Columbia and Yukon. Whistlestop all the way for William and Kate.

Royal Wardrobe Canada: day three

The Duchess of Cambridge in red for an evening reception in Victoria, British Columbia

(photo The Crown in Canada Twitter)

Day three was the first for two outfits and the Duchess of Cambridge kept it extreme. She started with ultra casual for her day in Bella Bella and ended in gala for the first evening reception of Royal Visit Canada 2016. And there's a colour scheme emerging for this tour - Kate kept to predominantly blue and red just as she has the past two days. Here's Royal Wardrobe Canada, day three.

Royal Visit Canada, day three: bring out the brollies

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Bella Bella on day three of their tour of Canada

(photo Kensington Royal Twitter)

The clue was in the itinerary. Day three of Royal Visit Canada saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge heading to a rain forest. Umbrellas were all but inevitable.

Royal Visit Canada Wardrobe: Day Two

The Duchess of Cambridge on day two of her visit to Canada

(photo Government of British Columbia via Flickr)

Canada meant two things were guaranteed when it came to Kate's wardrobe. First, there was bound to be at least one appearance by the Maple Leaf Brooch and we got a glimpse of that as the plane door opened. Secondly, there was always going to be at least one red and white outfit in homage to the country's colours and day two ticked that box for us. Royal Visit Canada is doing everything we hoped.

Royal Visit Canada, Day Two

The Duchess of Cambridge arrives in Vancouver on day two of Royal Visit Canada

(photo The Crown in Canada Twitter)

Day two of Royal Visit Canada was all about planes, boats and rain. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Vancouver using a rather unusual mode of transport and walked through a lot of drizzle as they fulfilled their wish to meet as many Canadians as possible while visiting projects and a reception in the city. Welcome to Vancouver as Royal Visit Canada continues.

Royal Visit Canada Wardrobe: Day One

The Duchess of Cambridge looking regal in royal blue on day one of her visit to Canada

(photo British Colombia via Flickr)

Royal Visit Canada is under way and with it, excitement and interest and all kinds of eagerness over Kate's royal wardrobe for the coming seven days. The first time she visited Canada in 2011, she was a newly married duchess undertaking her first overseas tour and we were all still getting used to her wardrobe. Five years on, the Kate Effect is everywhere and this royal wardrobe is packed full of looks everyone wants to see again. But a tour means new and the Duchess of Cambridge started off as she means to go on. We got a debut, we got a hat, we got vintage bling. Royal Visit Canada has debuted in style.

The Cambridges arrive in Canada

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge arrive in Canada for their seven day tour

(photo The Crown in Canada Twitter)

It's all under way. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, have arrived in Canada for the start of a seven day visit that has already attracted huge interest from around the world. All in blue, the Cambridge family have got a global royal event under way.

George and Charlotte to visit Canada

Us Four - the Cambridges will visit Canada as a family at the end of September

(photo Kensington Palace Twitter)

Kensington Palace has confirmed that Prince George and Princess Charlotte will accompany their parents on their trip to Canada at the end of the month. George, who is three, and Charlotte, now 17 months old, were widely expected to travel with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, extended an invitation to the whole family. Today, with twelve days to go until take off, their presence has been confirmed.

Kate's Canada Wait: the 2011 duchess debut

The Duchess makes her debut as a royal in Canada on June 30th 2011

(photo UK in Canada Flickr)

As Canada waits to see Kate again, there's plenty to look forward to in the Cambridges' latest visit. But with just over three weeks to go until they arrive, there's also a chance to look back at some of the highlights from the first tour. And today, it's flashback Friday to the dress worn for Kate's first full set of engagements there and her debut day as a duchess on tour.