Prince William |

So here I was, minding my own business last week, innocently perusing Yellowknife’s website, when I stumbled across this:

My initial reaction: Yes, yes, we’ve all seen the photos of the royal couple visiting Yellowknife.

And then: Wait a second.. That’s ME!

Go on! A photo of Prince William meeting me, on Yellowknife’s website. Yes, that blonde head is me. I had never seen this photo before, so I excitedly posted it to my Facebook. A few hours later I heard from a friend who lives in Norman Wells. She was en route back home from Edmonton, and during her stop in Yellowknife airport, she noticed that the gift shop had this very photo up on display. Apparently the woman who works at the gift shop took it.

Gotta love living in a small town.

So, when I go to pick my mom up on October 1 at YZF, I’ll have to have a peek in the gift shop to see it, and to meet this woman!

Today I decided to wander downtown since Prince William and Kate were coming to town. I assumed it would be crazy busy, but I was surprised to find myself third row from the front, in a chair. I was never fanatical about the royal family, but today sparked an interest in me, as was the intent of the Royal Tour. I shook Prince William’s hand and said good morning, he said good morning back. After talking with her security guard, Kate decided to meet the public as well and came directly over to me. She said “I’m so sorry, it’s nice to meet you!” They were both so genuine and warm, even after meeting countless people from their first few Canadian tour stops. I was able to get close-up photos of the couple three times (as is the beauty of a small city like Yellowknife), and I also got video of William’s speech, which you can see here. The whole event went off without a hitch, so props to everyone included in the organization and planning. The whole crowd had a wonderful time. And now, photos: