Royal National Hotel

Royal couple to get face time with veterans, children on Day 3 of tour

They were surrounded by artifacts of military might, but the only shooting going on Saturday was the din of snapping shutters as Prince William and Kate capped their visit to the nation's capital with a stirring tribute to Canada's war veterans.

Outside the bunker-like Canadian War Museum, several hundred people — a healthy turnout, but far from the hundreds of thousands on hand for Canada Day — cheered the royal couple's arrival as they were met by Heritage Minister James Moore and Tory MP Eve Adams.

Inside, after a lengthy meet-and-greet session with war veterans and war brides spanning several generations, the newlyweds shared unveiling duties by pulling back a curtain to reveal a towering, unfinished military mural by British artist Augustus John.

“We have veterans here from the Second World War, we have veterans here from the Korean War, and we have those who have been involved in the mission in Afghanistan,” Moore told the audience.

“We are incredibly proud of you, the men and women of the Canadian Forces, who have courageously put your lives in danger to defend Canada, to defend Canada's values, and indeed to keep us safe.”

Before the proceedings began, the Duke and Duchess toured the museum's art collection, beginning with a 1917 quartet of paintings called “The Roads of France,” by C.W.R. Nevinson. They lingered over a gallery of nose art — drawings and cartoons that adorned military aircraft — and a row of paintings from the Beaverbrook War art collection.

But it was when meeting and mingling with veterans, war brides and their families that William and Kate lingered, shaking hands and making earnest conversation, throwing the military precision of their daily itinerary into disarray for the third straight day.

The Duke and Duchess began their last day in Ottawa by adding a royal flourish to a Canadian hemlock tree at Rideau Hall, a lasting imprint of their first official tour as newlyweds.

William wore a dark blue suit and Kate a conservative grey Kensington dress by designer Catherine Walker as the pair tossed shovelfuls of soil underneath the tree, chosen to symbolize their enduring love and marriage.

It's the 17th royal tree to be planted on the Rideau Hall grounds.

The guests who were on hand for the ceremony included couples who celebrated multiple decades of marriage — 30, 40, 50, even 70 years — on April 29, the same day as William and Kate.

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