SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Jerry Brown and first lady Anne Gust Brown plan to greet Prince William and his wife, Kate, when they arrive in Los Angeles next week - marking the second time Brown has hosted British royalty as governor.
Brown's office on Friday released his itinerary during the official visit to California by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and plans show the governor and other officials will greet the couple during their first official overseas tour when they arrive at Los Angeles International Airport on July 8.
"The governor and Anne are delighted that they've chosen California as their single stop in the United States," said the governor's spokeswoman Elizabeth Ashford. "The governor will talk about the strength of the relationship with California: tourism, trade and environmentalism, and there's some possibility they'll talk about corgis."
The Browns have a 7-year-old Pembroke Welsh corgi named Sutter, known as California's first dog. The breed is a small herding dog and has been a favorite of the prince's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The queen has bred corgis for years.
When Brown was California's governor the first time in 1977, he hosted Prince Charles, picking him up from the Sacramento Executive Airport in his blue 1974 Plymouth sedan. During that visit, the governor's staff served cold roast beef and California cheeses picked up from a local deli.
Brown met Prince Charles again in 2005 in Oakland when he was the city's mayor, and later that year at a funeral in England.
Prince William and Kate began their North American visit in Canada this week. In California, they are scheduled to attend a reception the evening they arrive that will be hosted by the British consul general, Dame Barbara Hay.
The royal couple is scheduled the next day to attend a charity polo match in Santa Barbara, followed by a black-tie dinner to introduce British film talent to Hollywood executives.
They wrap up their three-day tour Sunday with a visit to an inner-city arts program and a job fair for American servicemen transitioning to civilian life.
The United Kingdom is the state's top overseas tourism market, according to the California Travel and Tourism Commission. Last year 671,000 UK travelers visited the state generating $670 million in economic activity.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
- Comment
