Penny Junor: Prince William

William’s biggest worry was that Kate would encounter some ugly incident on this first trip, and so the media were told there would be no walkabouts in Quebec City, where he spoke at the City Hall and he reviewed the Royal 22nd Regiment (and their hairy goat mascot), known as the Van Doos. They are the biggest French-speaking unit in Her Majesty’s Canadian Forces and recently returned from Afghanistan. He diplomatically delivered this speech entirely in French: ‘Thank you Premier, and Mr Mayor for your warm welcome. It’s an honour for me to be here with you in Quebec today. For me, as a soldier and an airman, it is a privilege to have inspected a great regiment like the Royal 22nd. Your reputation is as strong as it is legendary. This place has such beauty and history. You, the Québécois and Québécoise, have such vitality and vigour. It is simply a pleasure to be here. Thank you for your patience with my accent, and I hope that we will have the chance to get to know each other over the years to come. Until the next time.’

The plan was for them to walk back to the heavily armed motorcade and make a swift getaway to the next event, but the thousands of people crowded into the city square, who had been soaked earlier by a heavy shower of rain, were calling out to them so excitedly that to everyone’s surprise (not least of all his team and the press corralled halfway up the street), William suddenly put an arm on Kate’s shoulder and led her past the waiting cars towards the crowds. The Quebecers were ecstatic, and it was a well-judged move – entirely his own – even if it did make the security officers very jumpy indeed.

For ten days in Canada, William and Kate had been cheered and applauded as the nation’s future King and Queen, and they had as much of a buzz from the experience as their future subjects. In his final speech in Alberta, William said, ‘A week ago in Ottawa I spoke of how much Catherine and I looked forward to getting to know Canada and Canadians. I can only say that the experience of this past seven days has exceeded all our expectations. We have been hugely struck by the diversity of this beautiful country: from Ottawa to Quebec; from Prince Edward Island to the Northwest Territories; and now the excitement of Calgary – and what about these fantastic white hats [stetsons given to them for the Stampede Parade] … Canada has far surpassed all that we were promised.’ He meant it. They were exhausted, it had been hard work, but every time their energy had started to flag something different presented itself and they were revived.

It had been a triumph. Once again he had looked like a King in waiting, and he had been received as such; and Kate by his side completed the picture. In every situation, in formal suit or jeans and an open-necked shirt, he hit the right note and charmed the birds from the trees. His speeches, delivered with perfect timing, also hit the right note and delighted his audience.

As they took off into the sky above Calgary after ten full days and countless flights, they must have wished they were going home. (The exhausted press pack certainly did.) Instead they flew to Los Angeles for two days, which had a very different feel for them and which, in my view, throws up some important questions for the future. It was essentially a fundraising trip that was tacked on to the end of the Canadian tour at the last minute – and a very profitable one it was too. Hollywood celebrities, rich Californians, wealthy Brits living in Los Angeles, everyone wanted to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and were prepared to pay big bucks for the privilege. But is this what our Royal Family should be doing?

Shortly before they left for Canada they topped the bill at one of the most star-studded and ostentatious displays of wealth in London’s social calendar. It was the £10,000-a-head gala dinner for Absolute Return for Kids (ARK), which was co-founded by Swiss-born financier Arpad Busson. The charity funds projects for disadvantaged children in the UK and around the world, and one year the auction alone at one of these dinners raised £14 million. Kate, in a beautiful gown designed by Jenny Packham costing nearly £4,000, looked stunning, and William, on sparkling form, was there to announce a joint venture between ARK and his Foundation. He began by saying he didn’t know how he was going to explain the spectacle before him to his grandmother when he saw her in the morning.

‘I am delighted that this evening marks the start of a new joint-partnership between Absolute Return for Kids – ARK – and The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry and The Duchess of Cambridge – F P W P H A T D C … This new joint-partnership is based on our shared vision and commitment to transform the lives of thousands of young people. I know that I am very fortunate. I have had a good education, a secure home and a loving and supportive family. So many young people, however, do not have these advantages and, as a result, can lack the confidence and knowledge to realise their full potential.

‘I count myself fortunate for another reason too. Harry and I find ourselves in a position to be able to help. I really believe that individuals can make a serious difference – whether it’s through wealth, through position, or some other advantage. It is so heartening to see that so many of you here tonight, through your commitment, share that belief. It is in this spirit that my brother, Catherine and I hope to use our philanthropy as a long-term catalyst for meaningful change.’

His sincerely felt words no doubt brought the partnership a massive injection of cash, but there was something discordant about the sight of such a carefully modest pair among such opulence – albeit raising money for a good cause – at a time when working people all over the country were struggling to make ends meet.

California was a similar exercise; they were using all their many advantages – and using them very effectively. In two days, they raised an enormous amount of money and there is no doubt that that money will be used to make a difference. And they did it charmingly and in the style that Hollywood respects. Kate’s dresses were by top designers; she borrowed jewellery from the Queen. At one event they arrived by helicopter. It was along the coast at Santa Barbara: a lavish lunch for sixty followed by a match at the prestigious Santa Barbara Polo Club to raise money for the American Friends of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. It was the Club’s centenary year and William said in his speech, ‘My father, the Prince of Wales, and my brother, Harry, were as green as that grass out there when I told them I’d be here.’ Guests paid on a sliding scale depending on how close they came to the couple – $2,500 to be inside the tent, $250 to be on the other side of the pitch – and those that played polo with him were rumoured to have paid up to $60,000. He was playing rather well that afternoon and scored four goals, winning the Tiffany Cup for his team, presented to him by his wife. In five hours, in the blistering Californian sunshine, he raised $1.6 million.

That evening they hosted a glittering, red-carpet, all-star, A-list BAFTA dinner, of which William is President, for three hundred at the opulent Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles. It was aimed at persuading American film-makers to use young British talent; and stars such as Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman and Quentin Tarantino were queuing up to pay $16,000 a table. But the hottest ticket was to an exclusive brunch the following morning at the Beverly Hills home of billionaire Hollywood producer and owner of the New York Giants football team, Steve Tisch. Forty-five guests including some of the richest philanthropists in the country, plus a few stars, like Reese Witherspoon and Catherine Keener, enjoyed a personal introduction to the Duke and Duchess. It was to launch Tusk Trust’s US Patrons’ Circle. How much they paid was left to the guests but 45 minutes of royal time brought in donations and forward pledges of nearly $ 1 million.