Hats off to a royal couple winning the world’s hearts

However, the young Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were not on their honeymoon but on an official public tour, which has been touted as not just a chance to present the newest member of the Royal Family to the world but also as an opportunity to revive the image of the British monarchy.

From the pre-trip diktat issued from the prince’s office when asked how the pair should be addressed during the tour – “Call us Wills and Kate” – to the red-carpet moment in Los Angeles just two days ago, when the duchess showed she could outshine the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Nicole Kidman in a stunning Alexander McQueen floorlength gown at a Bafta dinner, the couple won the hearts of the public in Canada, America and across the world.

Demonstrating just the right combination of glamour and realism, St Andrews University graduates Kate and William appeared to enjoy their tour on a personal level – and also failed to put a royal foot wrong as they travelled from Ottawa to Los Angeles, taking in Montreal, Prince Edward Island and Calgary on the way.

Canada’s honorary consul in Edinburgh, John Rafferty, said the visit had been a triumph for both the Royal Family and Canadian tourism. He said: “They came across as very approachable and happy to get involved, as demonstrated by the canoeing and other activities. I think they gave a good impression of a modern part of the British monarchy which wants to reach out to people.

“The Queen is a regular visitor to Canada and is always well received, but Wills and Kate’s willingness to get involved and participate in what was essentially normal life made them very popular.”

The duchess’s wardrobe – well-documented throughout the trip – was a particular highlight. From the moment she stepped off the plane in a navy lace dress by London-based, Montreal-born designer Erdem Moralioglu, the eyes of the fashion world were upon her.

Her clothes continued to wow onlookers, as she appeared in a selection of outfits that not only referenced the country she was visiting – such as the red maple leaf- inspired Sylvia Fletcher for Lock & Co hat she wore on Canada Day – but also reflected her own love of understatement, such as in teaming that hat with the high street cream dress she wore for her engagement photographs.

William, who has in recent months allowed his more informal side to emerge publicly, cracked jokes throughout the tour. Addressing the Canadian prime minister in less-than- perfect French, he told the delighted crowd: “It will improve as we go on.”

When he took on his new wife in a dragon boat race – a sport in which she has a long history as a cox, leading a crew of 20 women in 2007 – William beat the more experienced rower, telling her: “There is no chivalry in sport.”

But his sporting victory was short-lived, as just the next day he proved himself to be a poor street hockey player when he failed to hit the target with any of his three shots.

Despite the duchess’s impeccable fashion taste, the couple were not afraid to deviate from the plan to dress according to their situation – both donned white ten-gallon hats for the world-famous Calgary Stampede, while they also sported matching red sweatshirts after being made honorary members of the Canadian Rangers. Only Kate’s LK Bennett heels stopped her from joining in the street hockey herself, she claimed.

But it was in Calgary that William referenced one of his most-loved relatives, his great- grandmother, who also visited Canada with her husband, when summing up the success of the trip.“In 1939, my great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, said of her first tour of Canada with her husband, King George VI, ‘Canada made us’,” he said. “Catherine and I now know very well what she meant. Canada has far surpassed all that we were promised. Our promise to Canada is that we shall return.”

But in William and Kate style, he quickly broke the serious mood, adding: “And what about these fantastic white hats?”