William and Kate head to Canada ready to rebrand the monarchy

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will arrive in Canada today to begin their first tour since their wedding in the spring. The couple will begin in Ottawa where republican feeling is stronger than in most areas of the country and end in Calgary where they will leave for the U.S. The tour is designed to celebrate the birthday of Canada as well as bring together the monarchy and Canada, a relationship that Britain is taking ever more seriously.

There is no doubt that the monarchy is becoming more and more popular in Canada and that has a great deal to do with the youthful couple. It will be the first royal tour for the couple since their marriage and it will be a chance for the Canadian people to catch a glimpse of the couple as they sample all things that are great about Canada.

The couple have taken up the mantle of Princess Diana with their good looks, flair for fashion and natural charm. As the couple prepare to embark on their first overseas engagement popular culture experts discussing the appeal of Prince William and Kate Middleton - the newly wedded Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; how long will their status last and whether they can rebrand the monarchy for a new era.

Princess Diana broke the mould on how the royals should act and how they were perceived by both the media and the general population. Some say that Princess Diana was the most photographed woman in the world before her death in 1997. Prince William's mother will always have a lasting place in the hearts of Canadian's and the world. That place has been transferred for her son and his new wife. Williams comes along and bears the aura of Diana. Canadians feel that William helps Canadian's to remember the Princess.

Prince Charles is a widely unpopular figure in Canada. His affair as well as his political expression did not go down well with the Canadian people. Canadian's feel that Charles defined himself too early, something William has not done. William represents something new entirely to the old guard of the royal family. The future king is young, good looking and charismatic and is not willing to express his opinions without being asked, a major criticism of Charles throughout the Commonwealth. It is clear that Buckingham Palace are presenting the young couple an important but approachable. The vast majority of Canadian's like what they see.

There will be a royal frenzy to greet the couple when they touch down in Canada on Thursday. Kate Middleton enjoys tremendous popularity amongst Canadians, she is universally admired. The couple are changing the perception of the royal family in a big way. We only have to look back to 2009 when Charles and Camilla visited Canada. n 2009. The trip was somewhat of an embarrassment for the royal family. The crowds were relatively small to meet the next king and crowds were very thin at events. At the time, two thirds of the country wanted to see an elected home grown head of state. Fast forward two years and Canadian's now fully support the royal family.

There is a clear strategy from the royal family. They are now sending younger members of the family in an obvious attempt to cultivate more interest in the monarchy amongst the youth of the Commonwealth. The royal visit is a chance for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to live up to the legacy of Princess Diana and to show the world the royal family is important in the twenty first century.

For more information on the visit to Canada click here