William and Catherine are coming to Calgary

CALGARY — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend three days in Calgary this summer — including a role in the opening of the Stampede on July 8 — as part of their first official royal visit to Canada.

Prince William and the former Kate Middleton will be in Canada from June 30 to July 8.

“Canadians hold the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in very high esteem and look forward to welcoming them as they embark on their first official Royal Tour as newlyweds,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a news release. “The couple’s decision to visit Canada first is a testament to our country’s close relationship with the Crown and the Royal Family, and an opportunity for all Canadians to take pride in our traditions, history, and institutions.”

The visit includes stops in Ottawa from June 30 to July 2; Montreal on July 2; Quebec City on July 3; Charlottetown, PEI, from July 3 to 4; Summerside, PEI, on July 4; Yellowknife, NWT from July 4 to 6; and, Calgary from July 6 to 8.

With July 8th being the first day of the Calgary Stampede, officials confirmed Monday the couple will have a role in the opening ceremonies. It’s not clear whether it will be the parade or another event.

They aren’t the first royals to visit the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

In 1977, Prince Charles and his brother Prince Andrew participated in the Stampede, with Charles acting as parade marshal and both brothers taking in rodeo and chuckwagon events.

The Queen and Prince Philip attended the Calgary Stampede in 1959, when they watched the chuckwagon races from the grandstand.

Some British newspapers have also reported that the couple will touch down in Calgary at some point during their nine-day trip for a “poignant visit” to the place where Kate’s grandfather Peter Middleton, who died in November at age 90, served for two years as a Royal Air Force flight instructor during the Second World War.

Middleton, a skilled airman who piloted fighter planes in Europe during the final years of the war, was stationed in Canada from 1942 to 1944 at No. 37 Service Flying Training School in Calgary, part of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan that saw tens of thousands of British and Canadian pilots readied for war duty at more than 200 airfields across Canada.