The Globe and Mail

Members of the RCMP Musical Ride prepares the Landau at the RCMP stable in Ottawa. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will take the Landau from Rideau Hall to Parliament Hill on Canada Day.— Dave Chan for The Globe and Mail

On Friday, Warmblood thoroughbred horses will pull the couple in a black, hand-wrought-iron State Landau, first bought in 1911 by Canadian governor-general Albert Grey, known as Earl Grey. Once they’ve made the trip in the open carriage from Rideau Hall to Parliament Hill, they will witness the full military honours, including a royal salute, inspection of the Guard of Honour, 21-gun salute, fly past and march past. The world’s media is on hand to broadcast images of William and Kate, but Canada itself is part of the showcase.

Prince William is scheduled to make two speeches during the couple's time in Ottawa.— Carl Court/AP

The couple’s three-day visit to Ottawa includes two speeches from Prince William: Thursday at Rideau Hall and Friday during the noon Canada Day event. It is not yet known what the Duke of Cambridge – his official title – will have to say. However, Rideau Hall officials are taking their cue from the couple’s charitable-gift fund tied to their April wedding. From that, officials note, it is clear the couple’s priorities include changing the lives of children through art and sport, helping military families and conservation.

The Governor-General annnounces the schedule of the royal visit on June 21, 2011, in front of Rideau Hall.— Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The Duke and Duchess have the run of the house at Rideau Hall during their three days in the nation’s capital. With 175 rooms, the Governor-General’s official residence has lots of places to poke around and the hallways are lined with large works of art. The grounds are equally grand, with rose gardens, large trees and on-site greenhouses where produce is grown for meals.

Fresh off the boat: B.C. Spotted prawns— JOHN LEHMANN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

About 35 young chefs from across the country opened their knife kits Wednesday morning, broke into teams and started chopping veggies and shucking oysters in preparation for the biggest meals they’ve ever prepared.

“Not only will we be mentoring these young [chefs], we’ll be exposing them to some amazing culinary gems that our country has to offer,” said Rideau Hall’s executive chef, Louis Charest.

The menu includes ingredients from every corner of the country, including Qikiqtarjuaq sea urchin, B.C. spotted prawns, Winnipeg goldeye, PEI cloth-bound cheddar, Laurentian cattail, Acadian sturgeon caviar, Banks Island musk ox prosciutto, Alberta yak tenderloin, Millbank, Ont., chevre and Chatterbox Farm maple syrup.

The Personal Flag of the Duke of Cambridge for Use in Canada is only the second of its kind created for use during a royal tour of the country. Queen Elizabeth has been using hers since 1962.

1. The Royal Arms of Canada form the backdrop for all of the flags. The three lions in the top left corner represent England, the single red lion on the right is for Scotland, the harp symbolizes Ireland and the three fleurs-de-lis are for France. The red maple leaves on the bottom of the flag are, not surprisingly, symbols of Canada.

2. The white line that stretches across the top of the flag is drawn from Prince William’s coat of arms and is used by all members of the royal family to distinguish their lineage, according to the College of Arms (the official repository of the coats of arms and pedigrees of English, Welsh, Northern Irish and Commonwealth families). William’s has three tabs hanging from it, which signify that he’s the eldest, while his brother’s has five.

3. The red sea shell is also drawn from William’s coat of arms. The symbol was inherited from his mother’s side of the family.

4. The central symbol in the flag is called a roundel. William’s is bordered by alternating maple leaves and sea shells – symbols of Canada and of the prince’s maternal heritage.

5. Even if heraldic symbolism isn’t your forte, the golden letter W in the centre of the flag will be a dead giveaway that it’s meant for Prince William. The Queen’s flag is adorned with the letter E.

6. The golden coronet above the W is styled with a cross, two fleurs-de-lis and two strawberry leaves. Its design is an indication that William is a son of the heir apparent. Together, the coronet and W form William’s cipher.

Canada also designed a flag for Prince Charles. The flags were developed over three months by a team of nine at Rideau Hall and were approved in advance by the Royal Family.

1. Unlike most royals, Charles has never used his initial in his cipher. Instead, he uses The Prince of Wales’s feathers, three white plumes surrounded by a coronet, which are a symbol that he is heir to the throne. The “ich dien” written below means, “I serve.” Because there is no initial on the flag, “there’s nothing that says ‘Charles’ in it,” Ms. Boudreau said. Theoretically, that means the flag could be used again for the next Prince of Wales.

2. The white line at the top of Charles’s flag is nearly the same as his son’s, but without the sea shell. The absence of any symbols on the white tabs is another way of signifying that Charles is the monarch-in-waiting.