Kate Middleton and Prince William's trip to Canada is more important than you think

Five years after they first visited Canada as newlyweds in 2011, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are preparing to embark on another tour of the largest Commonwealth Realm.

This time will be extra special as it falls in the year of The Queen's 90th birthday and their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will be accompanying them.

Saturday will kick off a busy week of more than 30 separate engagements which will see them meet as many Canadians as possible and use their platform to shed light on social issues and causes.

Kate Middleton and Prince William are expected to pay tribute to veterans of the Afghanistan conflict and meet mothers struggling with drug and alcohol issues at a pregnancy outreach program in Sheway.

"They cannot wait to get to Canada and start learning about new parts of a country that will play such an important part of their lives for many years to come," a palace spokesperson said of their impending return.

There is no doubt that the youthful family will be a popular draw. Canadian opinion on the royal family tends to be positive and they were a hit the first time around. An estimated 500,000 people came to see them at t their Canada Day appearance in Ottawa in July 2011 and experts are also hoping that the trip will help reduce support for the republican movement. The visit will ultimately put the future of Canada as a monarchy back on the agenda.

Speaking to IBTimes UK, Joe Little, royal biographer and editor of Majesty magazine, said that the trip will help strengthen their bond with the country, which they will visit many times over the course of their lives.

"I see the forthcoming tour as a way of strengthening the bond between Canada and her future King(s) and Queen. The presence of the two young children will draw further attention to the trip and it goes without saying that (most) Canadians will take them to their hearts.

"As to strengthening the UK's relationship with Canada, I can't see that the tour will have any impact in that respect because of the nature and location of the official – and largely informal –engagements," said Little.

There will also be a number of splendid photo ops with some of Canada's most beautiful landmarks providing the perfect backdrop. British Columbia and Yukon are considered to be among the most stunning places in the world as well as home to many indigenous communities.

The varied tour will see them visit the likes of Vancouver – a bustling global city with a population of 2.5m – to the remote and idyllic surroundings of Bella Bella, which is home to less than 2,000 people.

Meanwhile, royal watchers will want to see synergy between the royals and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau − who will take part in various events during the visit − as an indicator of the strength of the ties between the two nations. Trudeau has a long history with the royals as his father, Pierre Trudeau, hosted Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana in 1991 when he was prime minister.