Royal Trip: Guide to Prince William and Kate's Canadian Tour

June 30, 2011— -- Prince William and Kate Middleton are about to embark on a whirlwind visit to Canada, visiting seven cities in nine days.

Upon arrival today in Ottawa, the newlyweds will head directly to Canada's National War Memorial for a wreath-laying ceremony.

Then they will travel to Rideau Hall, the official residence of Canada's governor general, David Johnston, where they will be welcomed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper with full military honors, including a 21-gun salute.

On Friday, Kate and William will be celebrating Canada's birthday, the same day William's mother, the late Princess Diana, would have turned 50.

The duke and duchess's plans for Canada Day, the official holiday marking the formation of Canada into a single country, includes attending a citizenship ceremony and a parade on Parliament Hill, the public grounds of Canada's parliament buildings.

The royals are scheduled to arrive in the French-speaking province of Canada on Saturday, July 2, flying into Montreal and traveling to Quebec City on an overnight cruise ship.

In Montreal, they are to attend a tree-planting ceremony, meet with veterans and their families, visit the largest maternity center in Canada and attend a cooking workshop at a tourism and hotel institute.

They will arrive in Quebec City the next morning, joining the crew of the HMCS Montreal in Sunday worship. Afterward, they are scheduled to visit an organization that caters to street youths, attend a military ceremony and join in the 375th-year celebration of the city of Levis.

On July 4, the royal couple is scheduled to arrive on Prince Edward Island.

It is also here where William, a member of the Royal Air Force's search and rescue force, is to participate in a training session for an emergency sea landing by the same Sea King helicopter he flies back home in Britain.

The royal highnesses will also learn about the island's aboriginal, Acadian and Celtic ancestry, as well as its culinary traditions by putting on aprons for a cooking demonstration.

The next stop on the duke and duchess's itinerary will be the uppermost reaches of Canada, the rugged Northwest Territories.

Arriving July 5, they are to meet with the region's aboriginal youth and leaders and take part in activities such as traditional drumming, dancing and canoeing.

The final stop in William and Kate's Canada tour, Calgary, will be their most down-home.

On July 7, the couple are to be greeted at the airport with white cowboy hats, a nod to the city's western hospitality. They will then head to the University of Calgary to learn about Canada's cutting-edge health research.

But the real fun takes place that evening, when the duke and duchess are scheduled to attend the Calgary Stampede, the world's largest rodeo and self-proclaimed "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth"-- including a bull-riding demonstration and a chuckwagon race.

The next morning, they are to kick off the Calgary Stampede Parade, the second largest parade in the world, and travel in the motorcade.

That afternoon, the royals are scheduled to say farewell to Canada and hello to America.

It's Middleton's first visit to Canada; William has traveled there before. The trip will be closely followed by the media, with nearly 1,400 journalists accredited to cover the visit.

Canada is a member of the Commonwealth and Queen Elizabeth II, William's grandmother, is its head of state.