New York, New York: The Cambridges Are Going to America!

We have exciting news to share with our readers (especially for those in New York and Washington DC): the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are visiting America from 7-9 December. Originally planned as a solo trip for Prince William, it was decided Kate would accompany her husband now she is feeling better and support causes close to her heart, too.

No doubt both William and Kate are very much looking forward to visiting the Big Apple - it will mark the first time either of them has visited the city. New York is a fabulous place, particularly so at this time of year, I've heard, as the festive season approaches.

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The couple last visited the USA in 2011 when they spent a couple of days in California following their first overseas joint tour in Canada.

A rather excellent itinerary has been organised encompassing charities supported by the royals and events to honour their host country. More from the official press release:

'Their Royal Highnesses will travel to New York for a programme of engagements which will also see the Duke visit Washington DC for a day, while the Duchess remains in New York.

The Duke and Duchess will attend events on behalf of the Royal Foundation and other charities with which Their Royal Highnesses are closely associated, and also on behalf of HM Government.

The charitable themes will including promoting sustainable conservation issues with a particular focus on collaborative working to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, and also supporting organisations which reflect Their Royal Highnesses' interest in young people's mental health and the importance of supporting disadvantaged young people from an early age.'

The Duke and Duchess will arrive in New York on Sunday, 7th December and will attend a private engagement on behalf of the American Friends of the Royal Foundation that evening.

Monday, 8 December

William will travel to Washington DC, while Kate remains in New York. The Prince will attend an anti corruption conference at the World Bank to discuss a zero tolerance approach to the transportation across borders of illegal wildlife parts. This is a key area of work for the United for Widlife consortium, of which William is president.

United for Widlife
Upon his return William will attend a reception organised by the Royal Foundation, in recognition of the conservation work carried out by Tusk Trust and United for Wildlife partners, Widllife Conservation Society, Conservation International and the Nature Conservancy.

Meanwhile, Kate will carry out two solo engagements. The Duchess will be accompanied by the First Lady of New York City, Chirlane McCray, on a visit to a local child development centre. They will learn about how this organisation fosters the healthy development of children and families by providing high-quality mental health and organisational services.

Afterwards, the Duchess will attend a lunch hosted by the British Consul General in New York to celebrate the achievement of the successful British community in New York from the culture, arts, hospitality and business sectors.

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In the evening, Their Royal Highnesses will attend an NBA Basketball game to help launch a new collaboration between United for Widlife, the Royal Foundation and the National Basketball Association (NBA). The couple will have the opportunity to see the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets play. (Do we have many supporters of these teams reading?)

Eric Cleves Kristensen - Creative Commons
Tuesday, 9 December

On Tuesday, 9th December, the Duke and Duchess will visit a youth organisation to see the work they carry out in partnership with an inner city youth development foundation. During the visit, William and Kate will learn about the wide-ranging services on offer to young people to help them reach their potential, particularly through the arts-in-education model that supports the artistic and intellectual development of the participants.

Next, the couple will attend an event celebrating the wealth of British talent in the creative industries based in New York. The reception will be in association with the UK Government's GREAT Campaign. Readers may recall Kate attended a GREAT event during the London 2012 games.

The final engagement of the visit will be the University of St. Andrews 600th Anniversary Dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The evening will support scholarships and bursaries for students from under-privileged communities, new student sports facilities in St. Andrews and investment in the university.

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Of course, William is patron of the campaign and the couple have participated in events supporting it in the UK. William and Kate met at St. Andrews, obtained their degrees, forged friendships and enjoyed very happy years there - it's very fitting to see their continued support of the university.

One important engagement not listed on the itinerary is a visit to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. One assumes this will be a private opportunity for the royals to pay their respects. More from the press release:

'The Duke and Duchess will also visit the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center to pay their respects to the nearly 3,000 people who died in the attacks of the 26th February 1993 and 11 September 2001.'

I could not imagine a trip to New York not including such a visit. I don't think any of us will ever forget where we were when we heard of the attacks of 9/11. It's very important to remember and pay respects to those who so sadly lost their lives on that tragic day.

Martin from The Courtier Blog calculated there will be ten engagements in total.

Courtier UK Twitter Feed
The itinerary looks very interesting, and it's such a treat for royal watchers to see the couple undertake another trip this year. In terms of fashion, New York is very much the place to be. Perhaps the Duchess will take a couple of hours to browse around Madison Avenue or Fifth Avenue for a spot of Christmas shopping?

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Speaking of fashion, what will Kate wear? We expect to see the Duchess give a nod to her host country by choosing a US designer at least once. During the recent royal tour in April, we saw Kate in Tory Burch, DVF, Lela Rose and Michael Kors - all possibilities for the trip. Kate will need a selection of coats and dresses for engagements and perhaps a gown for the St. Andrews gala.

For our readers in New York, are you excited about the royal visit? Do you hope to catch a glimpse of William and Kate while they are there?

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Which events are you most looking forward to?