Canadian hosts appear happy with royal future

The appearance of Prince George and Princess Charlotte on the trip has helped bolster the Cambridges' appeal

For eight days, an important aspect of Canada's future has been on display.

It's a future the majority of Canadians appear happy to embrace, for now.

The Cambridges have only visited parts of the country where people have applauded them coming, not questioned their existence.

They know the monarchy needs to be seen and appreciated to survive.

The public presence, at strategic points during the tour, of Prince George and Princess Charlotte will have bolstered, at the very least temporarily, the survival of this ancient institution.

Of course, what has been left unsaid this week is that Prince William and Prince George are not next in line.

Prince Charles is waiting in the wings and his appeal in Canada is not as great as that of his son or his grandson.

Monarchists argue that's down to the allure of youth.

'Ecstatic' crowds

Those seeking an elected, Canadian-born head of state see a chink in the armoury of the House of Windsor.

At the start of the trip, I was very struck by the cheering of the crowd. On more than one occasion, it bordered on ecstatic.

The focus of their fervour was a youthful-looking man with a wife and children.

I saw him once hang out of his car, waving, before his motorcade moved off.

This wasn't a jetlagged prince embracing rock politics - rather, the tattooed boxer politician Justin Trudeau.

The duke and duchess have helped showcase some of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's policies

I've watched the Canadian prime minister weave along a red carpet shaking hands, hugging people and placing his hand on his heart.

The warmth of his reception has been striking to someone who lives in the UK where a more jaded view of all politicians tends to be on display.

Mr Trudeau, with his political opponents off duty, in Victoria and Vancouver where I've seen him in action, has appeared happy.

It's probably helped that while here, the duke and the duchess have been showcasing some of his policies.

When was the last time you saw a senior member of the Royal Family with refugees in the UK?

Precisely.

But in Canada, it's not a fraught issue.

When the Almahameed family met Prince William and his wife, the world was reminded of Mr Trudeau's open policy of welcoming, in their thousands, those fleeing the war in Syria.

The duke and duchess met a number of First Nations groups on their trip, including chiefs in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia

The prime minister's attempts to demonstrate he is repairing his country's relationship with its indigenous population have proved more fraught.

William and Kate have met their representatives repeatedly.

And repeatedly, the sense of hurt has been palpable.

Speech after speech has focused on both past and current injustices inflicted on a people that make up 4% of the population.

Canada's aboriginal people have a deep and historic connection with the Crown.

Its representative, Prince William, heard their entreaties.

He'll want to help, but can he?

Can an unelected head of state in waiting do anything meaningful?

The prince will have plenty of time to mull it over and act if he so chooses.

As things stand, there'll be many more visits by the Cambridges to Canada.