Prince William & Kate Land In Los Angeles!
July 8 2011, Published 8:30 a.m. ET
by RadarOnline.com Staff
The Royals have arrived!
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge landed Friday afternoon at the Los Angeles International Airport, after wrapping up their nine-day whirlwind tour of Canada.
California Gov. Jerry Brown, Mayor Antonio Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and British Consul-General Dame Barbara Hay greeted the royal couple upon their 3:55 pm arrival at LAX Airport.
Catherine, who looked beautiful in a pale blue Roksanda Ilincic cocktail dress, was presented with a bouquet of red, white and blue flowers by the First Lady of California, and greeted by Governor Brown with the words “Welcome to America.”
Security was tight at LAX airport, with media personnel being sent through several checkpoints before being allowed on the tarmac.
The Royals then hopped into a dark Range Rover and were escorted to the Beverly Hills Hilton by a motorcade of ten vehicles including CIA agents, LAPD and CHP officers, to ensure their safety, for a meeting with a group of venture capitalists, business leaders and philanthropists.
Later in the evening, the Royal couple will head to before a Consular-General Reception in Hancock Park held by the United Kingdom Trade and Investment.
British Consul-General Dame Barbara Hay will host the event at her home in Hancock Park -- a posh neighborhood in L.A. -- where Prince William and Kate will be staying while in town.
According to St. James Palace, Prince William and Kate’s objective while in the Golden State will be "supporting British interest in California through the prism of their own interests," on the trip which marks the first time Kate has visited the United States.
Officials issued a preemptive statement putting the city's numerous paparazzi cameramen on alert, as Los Angeles police Deputy Chief Michael Downing said Thursday, "We ask that the paparazzi be respectful and dignified. And we will be respectful and dignified to the paparazzi.
"It is a very important event for Los Angeles," Downing said, noting the security measures taken will be a tick under the usual protocol when the president's in town. "It is really an honor to have the royal couple in Los Angeles, and we want to make sure they have a good impression."
On Saturday afternoon, Prince William -- an avid polo player -- is slated to lead a team at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, for a charity match to benefit the American Friends of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. Kate is scheduled to present the winners with a trophy.
Tickets for the event were going for $4,000 for a meet-and-greet with the royals; and $400 for general admission to watch the match in the grandstand, with a box lunch and a souvenir program included into the cost of the ticket.
On Saturday night, the second-to-the-throne will join his lovely wife in downtown Los Angeles for a dinner at the 1926 Belasco Theatre put on by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. There, they will be the guests of honor at a reception to pay tribute to 42 of the U.K.’s top young filmmakers. Oprah Winfrey and Tom Hanks are among those on the guests lists.
On Sunday, they'll check out the Inner-City Arts School, an establishment that's in the dreary Skid Row section, to watch a dance recital featuring kids from a nonprofit academy in the area. After that, they'll pay a visit to Culver City's Sony Studios to attend the Service Nation: Mission Serve job fair.
From there it's back to LAX Airport, where around afternoon, the beautiful young couple will head back to the motherland after the jam-packed Hollywood weekend.
Keep checking back with RadarOnline.com all weekend long for the very latest Royal news!
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