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British RoyalsPrince & Princess of Wales

British Columbia spent over $600,000 on the Royal Tour of Canada last fall

The Province of British Columbia says it cost $613,363.93 to host the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children last fall during the Royal Tour of Canada.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, visited British Columbia and the Yukon from 24 September to 1 October. The Royal Tour consisted of seven communities: Bella Bella, Haida Gwaii, Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria in British Columbia; and Carcross and Whitehorse in the Yukon.

The Federal Government of Canada picked up a portion of the tab as well, in a cost-sharing measure with the province, but it hasn’t released the financial details yet.

The Federal Government has said its budget estimate was around $855,600, while the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it spent $2,000,000 in policing costs over the eight-day tour.

Factored into the cost are accommodation, site reconnaissance for each location, and media transportation to all engagements. Per the CBC, the expenses included a dry run before the tour that involved royal, federal, provincial staff and a media site trip.

The Province of British Columbia also paid for flights to and from the United Kingdom for the Cambridges and all transportation costs while the family was in Canada.

The Yukon portion of the Royal Tour cost the Department of Tourism and Culture $11,754.76. Further expenses haven’t been released by the Territory.

“We feel very fortunate to have time to get to really know parts of this country that we did not get to visit in 2011,” Prince William said in a speech on the first day of the Tour.

Shortly after their 2011 wedding, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Canada. The couple visited Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories.

Destination BC said in a release that the Royal Tour increased hotel searches in Canada from travellers in the United Kingdom by 60 percent, and Google searches for British Columbia increased in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The 2016 Royal Tour of Canada focused on areas the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are passionate about, including children, mental health, sport and outdoor pursuits.

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS will publish in Fall 2024.

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