VICTORIA — The British media honed in on what one outlet described as an "awkward" encounter between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the young Prince George in reports on the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Victoria.
Several media outlets and newspapers focused on the brief appearance of the toddler and his 16-month old sister Princess Charlotte at Victoria's airport on Saturday, described as a "rare" occasion by The Sun newspaper since the children are not frequently seen in public.
The prime minister was among several dignitaries waiting on the tarmac to greet the royals when they emerged from their flight on Saturday.
After shaking hands with Prince William and his wife Kate, Trudeau knelt down to meet three-year-old George, who was holding his father's hand.
Trudeau was seen lifting his hand, trying to high-five the young prince, who shook his head and did not accept the gesture.
Videos and photos of the interaction were shared widely by British media.
The Mirror wrote: "Superstar politician Mr. Trudeau might have endeared himself to millions online through his outspoken feminism, support for diversity and willingness to embrace Internet memes, but it seems to take more than that to impress Will and Kate's eldest."
Similar reports were done by The Independent, with a story headlined: "Prince George leaves Justin Trudeau hanging after he goes for a high-five."
The Daily Mail shared a story with the headline: "Sorry, one doesn't high-five with commoners."
The Telegraph also took note of the incident with a story headlined: "Prince George and Princess Charlotte revel in a little mischief on Canadian tour."
The Duke and Duchess are on an eight-day tour of British Columbia and Yukon. Officials have said their children will not be accompanying them on much of the tour as the family makes Victoria their base for most of the visit.
A LOOK AT WHERE THE ROYALS ARE GOING MONDAY
Here are details of the royal tour for Monday by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge:
— Prince William and his wife Kate travel to Bella Bella on British Columbia's central coast where they'll be greeted members of the Heiltsuk nation.
— The couple will announced the inclusion of the Great Bear Rainforest into the Queens Commonwealth Canopy. It's the only site in Canada to receive the distinction.
— The duke and duchess take part in the installation of the final ring on the Black Rod in Victoria. The rod is a ceremonial staff created in 2012 to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and is used for formal occasions during events at B.C.'s legislative assembly.
— The couple takes part in a government reception at Government House where they'll meet some of British Columbia's most notable citizens including First Nations leaders, veterans and philanthropists.
— William and Kate will also view The Witness Blanket, a large scale art piece made up of hundreds of items reclaimed from churches, government buildings and cultural structures across Canada. It is a national monument to the atrocities of the Indian Residential School era and symbolizes ongoing reconciliation.
PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE TO MEET WITH FIRST NATIONS, TOUR CENTRAL COAST REGION
BELLA BELLA, B.C. — Prince William and his wife Kate will be surrounded by British Columbia's natural beauty and experience indigenous culture on Monday with a trip to pristine rainforest in the Central Coast region.
Visiting the renowned Great Bear Rainforest, among the largest intact coastal temperate rainforest in the world and home to the white kermode or spirit bear, the royal couple will dedicate the territory as part of the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy initiative.
The initiative was launched in 2015 to create a network of forest conservation programs involving all 53 countries in the Commonwealth.
As part of the network, regions can share ideas and innovations about forest conservation and receive global attention for their efforts.
Early this year, the province and the Coast First Nations including the Heiltsuk announced they would increase protection of the area, conserving 85 per cent of the forested areas from industrial logging.
Ahead of the visit, Heiltsuk First Nation Chief Marilyn Slett said in a statement: "We are greatly honoured to be in the world spotlight with this recognition of our work to protect our lands, waters and resources."
Along with seeing the areas natural beauty, William and Kate will take part in cultural ceremonies at the Wawiskas Community Hall in Bella Bella.
They will meet with Head Hereditary Chief Woyala who will be bearing a Royal Staff given to his great-grandfather from Queen Victoria.
The trip to the pristine coastal region comes after a day spent in Vancouver, including the city's gritty Downtown Eastside.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge toured the pregnancy outreach program Sheway, learning how its services help mothers overcome challenges, such as drug and alcohol addictions.
Sheway was modeled on the Glasgow Women's Reproductive Health Service Unit, which was opened by William's mother Princess Diana in 1990 to serve women with major social problems.
Allison Wright, a mother of two under five, said the visit by the royal couple gave those who benefit from the program a chance to be seen as people "and not just a problem to be solved."
William and Kate's tour of Vancouver ended with a visit to the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station where the royal couple met first responders and discussed the mental-health implications of working in emergency services.
DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE MEET MOMS BATTLING ADDICTION IN VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's promise to meet with all kinds of Canadians took them to Vancouver's gritty Downtown Eastside Sunday, where they met with mothers recovering from addiction who said the visit helped show them they are respected, despite their struggles.
Allison Wright, a mother of two children under five, told the royals her story with a small group of moms over tea at Sheway, an organization that helps marginalized pregnant women and mothers living in one of Canada's poorest neighbourhoods.
"I'm really grateful for the chance to bring some light on this place because there's a lot of love and a lot of hope here," Wright said.
She said the visit by Prince William and his wife Kate gave those who benefit from the program a chance to be seen as people "and not just a problem to be solved."
Sheway was modeled on the Glasgow Women's Reproductive Health Service Unit, which opened in 1990 to serve women with major social problems. That program also has a connection to the Royal Family as it was officially opened by William's mother, Princess Diana.
The interest from the duke and duchess in Sheway was evident, said manager Patti Zettel.
"Moving through the program with them, their questions were thoughtful, their questions were informed," she said. "And you can tell that there's this kind of longitudinal legacy in terms of their understanding of women, addiction, marginalization."
Their decision to visit the Downtown Eastside was profound, and visiting a women's organization was even more so, she added.
"It is so important to this community, to the lives of these women. Their voices matter, their lives matter and their kids matter," Zettel said.
The royal couple later toured the Immigrant Services Society of B.C.'s new Welcome Centre in Vancouver, where they met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau.
At each stop, people gathered behind barricades to catch a glimpse of the couple, hand them flowers or perhaps get the chance to say hello.
Elissa and Chris Kiner arrived on the grounds of the B.C. legislature at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday for the official royal arrival more than 12 hours later and made their way home to Vancouver on Sunday to see them again.
They called the trip their "William and Kate chase weekend." The Kiners gave Kate flowers on Saturday and shook Prince William's hand on Sunday.
"It's a once in a lifetime experience," said Elissa, who plans to watch the rest of the tour on television.
While the royal couple arrived to cheers at every stop, at least one person wasn't a fan, carrying a sign that read, "No Kings. No Landlords."
William and Kate travelled Sunday without their children, three-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who is one.
They were dressed semi-formally for their visit to Vancouver, with William wearing a blazer, tie and dark pants. Kate was wearing a red-and-white patterned dress by the late British designer Alexander McQueen, with her hair down, red shoes and a red purse.
William and Kate also hosted a reception for young Canadians making important contributions to their communities, including Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
A member of Canada's women's rugby team asked the prince about his experiences playing the sport.
"Yes, I did play rugby. I wasn't, obviously, as good as you guys," William said, drawing laughs. "I tried my best."
After the event, 20-year-old swimmer Aurelie Rivard admitted she and her fellow athletes were nervous and excited to meet the prince and prime minister.
"We all had moist hands," said Rivard, who won three gold medals and was the flag-bearer for the closing ceremony at the 2016 Paralympic Games.
Rivard said Prince William asked about her experience at the Games.
"It's still hard to realize what happened. He's super nice. We just chatted with him for a little bit. He seems interested in what he does and what we do as well."
The royals ended the day at the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station, which they left on board a hovercraft.
Prince William is a helicopter pilot with East Anglian Air Ambulance and recently spoke about "dark moments'" in his job for a documentary that was made for National Air Ambulance Week in the U.K.
The royal couple met with representatives of the Canadian Coast Guard, B.C. Ambulance and other emergency officials, discussing the mental health issues faced by first responders. The duke, referring to mental health issues arising from rescues, said: "I'm so glad your services take it so seriously."
Prince William admired the equipment displayed by Vancouver Fire and Rescue and North Shore Rescue. Pointing at a new truck, he remarked: "My son George would be obsessed with that."
