Prince William returned to Paris on Friday, March 17, with his wife, Duchess Kate, for his first trip to the French capital since his mother, Princess Diana, died in a car crash there in 1997.
The royal couple flew to Paris on a private jet immediately after attending the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in London. Kate, 35, looked stunning in a green Catherine Walker coat dress as she arrived at the Élysée Palace with William, 34, to meet with French President François Hollande.
Later in the day, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a black-tie dinner and reception hosted by Edward Llewellyn, Britain’s ambassador to France, at the British Embassy. “Before I came here, Her Majesty The Queen reminded me of how much she has enjoyed her many visits to France,” William told his fellow guests. “It is a feeling that Catherine and I entirely share, and look forward to this and many more visits in the years to come – to France, our ally, our friend, our neighbor.”
On Saturday, March 18, the couple cheered the Wales rugby team as they took on the French in the final Six Nations match at Stade de France. Kate wore a red coat and was spotted smiling and chatting with her husband in the crowd. A day earlier, William joked with President Hollande that he would be “cheering the Welsh.”
William and Kate, who share 3-year-old son Prince George and 22-month-old daughter Princess Charlotte, also went sightseeing on Saturday and visited the Eiffel Tower, where they looked so in love as they posed for a series of photographs. Kate wore a tweed Chanel dress and black pumps, while William looked dapper in a navy suit, a white button-down shirt and a maroon tie. The pair also headed to the historic Musée d’Orsay and were photographed looking through the museum’s famous giant clock.
