On the occasion of William and Kate’s first official trip as a foursome – accompanying young Charlotte and George across eight days in British Columbia, the Canadian province which is simultaneously the Commonwealth country and constitutional monarchy’s most western and most royal – there was much fun and frolics before bedtime as the Canucks clamoured for a peek at their cheeky but stately scamps.
While the duke and duchess had to deal with the usual forms of business, state receptions, hospital openings, charitable meet and greets, they also found time for a spot of fishing, a few bites of food tasting, and a children’s party attended by military families in the grounds of Government House.
Here the adorable Princess Charlotte uttered her first word, ‘Pop!’, either an Americanism for ‘Father’ or an early indication of a worrying penchant for fizzy drinks. Meanwhile Prince George delighted onlookers with a daring display of bubble squirting, which he fired at William and Charlotte from a bubble gun in the style of a clownfish.
Inevitably much of the attention on such visits falls on the Royal Family’s attire. And from some quarters there arose a familiar complaint, namely that the children appear to be dressing in clothes a whole century out of date. Charlotte wore hand-smocked and embroidered dresses with dainty little collars, and George wore high-waisted shorts, sandals, and knee-high socks.
While some commentators questioned which period in particular the Royals were pulling from – the Victorian era or around the first or second World Wars – others suggested that in the realm of children’s fashion, George and Charlotte’s classic selections were actually on-trend.
But it wasn’t supposed to be like this. And in fact all the balloons and bubbles hid the real purpose of this Canadian trip. For all young George wants is a pair of Yeezys, but whatever the style or colourway, Kanye West’s limited edition infant sneakers are proving impossibly hard to procure.
William and Kate thought that by edging closer to America, still within the dominion of the old British Empire, they might encounter more luck. Alas they appear to have returned home empty handed. While they were presented with all manner of Canadian memorabilia, there wasn’t a pair of Yeezys in sight.
The lack of Yeezys was reportedly behind George’s dismissal of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, forced to leave the runway with an awkward grimace after his offer of a high-five was rudely snubbed. While the Yeezy Boost 350 Infant currently comes in turtle dove or pirate black, by all accounts George is especially keen on the idea of Oxford tan or moonrock. Perhaps the dilemma necessitates a stately intervention, some sort of direct appeal from British royalty to Kim and Kanye, the Royal Family of rap or reality or pop culture or rock.
