Prince William and Kate embark on third day of Canada tour
(CBS/AP) OTTAWA, Ontario - Prince William and Kate started the third day of their Canadian tour with a tree-planting ceremony at Government House that has become a royal family tradition, and a visit to the Canadian War Museum.
Later today the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will travel to the French-speaking province of Quebec (where protests by a small group of separatists are expected), as the royal newlyweds continue a nine-day journey through Canada on their first official overseas trip.
Pictures: William and Kate continue through Canada
Pictures: William and Kate's Canada Day
Pictures: Newlyweds kick off Canada tour
Pictures: Kate's royal looks
Saturday's small, low-key gatherings in Ottawa contrasted with Friday's celebration of Canada Day when Prince William and Kate stole the show as they were feted by Canadian leaders and cheered by tens of thousands who lined the streets to get a glimpse of the royal couple as they attended a citizenship ceremony, an afternoon celebration and an evening concert.
Prince William, wearing a dark blue suit, and Kate, dressed in a gray, fitted knee-length Kensington dress by British designer Catherine Walker, each wielded a shovel as they helped plant a Canadian hemlock - a tree known for its longevity meant to symbolize their marriage.
Their tree was the 17th planted by a member of the British royal family in a tradition dating back to 1939. Prince William's parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, planted trees on previous visits at Rideau Hall, the official residence of both the Canadian monarch and Governor General, the queen's representative in Canada.
The royal couple chatted with Canadian newlyweds who were married on April 29, the same day as their royal wedding, as well as couples celebrating their 40th, 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries.
They then attended a reception at the Canadian War Museum with veterans of conflicts from World War II to Afghanistan. The couple met with Canadian veterans from conflicts from World War II to Afghanistan, as well as with war brides. About 45,000 women came from Europe to Canada as war brides after World War II, most of them from the United Kingdom.
The royal couple will fly to Quebec on Saturday afternoon for a two-day stay. In Montreal, they are scheduled to visit a children's hospital and later put on aprons and take part in a cooking workshop before boarding a navy ship for an overnight trip down the St. Lawrence Seaway to Quebec City.
Quebec nationalist groups said they plan to protest the royal couple's visit. The militant separatist group, Reseau de Resistance du Quebecois, or Quebecker Resistance Network, announced plans for a small protest Saturday outside the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre during the royal couple's visit, said RRQ spokesman Julien Gaudreau.
The group plans a larger protest outside city hall in Quebec City on Sunday, with supporters coming in by bus from other parts of the province, said Gaudreau.
"We want the message to get across that the monarchy is not welcome in Quebec - there are people who aren't happy," said Patrick Bourgeois, leader of the Quebecker Resistance Network. "We want it to be unpleasant for him."
Prince William and Kate arrived Thursday to cheering crowds of thousands in Ottawa, Canada's largely English-speaking capital. Poised and confident, they have thrilled crowds with warm, unscripted gestures, wading into throngs of well-wishers to shake hands and accept flowers and other gifts.
The royal couple will leave Canada for a three-day trip to California on July 8.
