Prince William and Kate Middleton to Visit Banff ?

**Update – it now appears that Will and Kate have in fact included a visit to Banff National Park as part of their Royal Tour, and spent the night of July 6 at a remote hotel near Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies backcountry.**

It has been announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton will be visiting Canada from June 30 to July 8 2011, just 2 months after their much anticipated Royal Wedding on April 29. Although their Canadian honeymoon schedule is still somewhat vague, it seems certain that they will be ending their tour in Alberta on July 8. The obvious question from the Canadian Rockies is, will the royal couple be paying a visit to Banff, Canada’s own crown jewel? The Canadian Rockies are no strangers to royal visitors, with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip having visited in 2005, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939. July would be an ideal time to visit Banff National Park, when views of the magnificent mountain peaks and pristine lakes would offer the perfect last impression from the final section of what is sure to be a wonderful tour of Canada. If they do pay a visit, there can be no Banff hotel more fitting for a future king than the Castle in the Rockies, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel where the luxurious Presidential Suite would seem like the obvious choice for the newlyweds.
One thing is for certain, if Will and Kate do spend part of their honeymoon in Banff, it will be a huge boost for tourism in the whole of the Canadian Rockies, as the natural wonders of this region will be seen on TV by millions of people throughout the world.
In addition to Alberta, the royal couple will be visiting Ottawa, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and the North West Territories.