Royal Couple Visit Wildfire-Ravaged Town

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have made an unscheduled stop on their Canadian royal tour and travel to Slave Lake in Alberta, which has been ravaged by wildfires.

The town was devastated in May when a blaze forced the complete evacuation of its 7,000 residents and the couple will meet those who are putting the town back together.

William and Kate have been immersing themselves in the Canadian wilderness in the Northwest Territories.

They were taken by float plane to Blachford Lake, which is only 250 miles from the Arctic Circle.

There they met young rangers who are part of a scheme to engage young people in these isolated territories of Canada .

William is already an honorary one - now it was his wife's turn to be initiated, by putting on her gift of a red hoodie.

After the ceremony, the couple canoed to Honeymoon Island, where they spent three hours on their own.

Connecting with Canada's youth has been a theme of the tour.

William won over the crowds in Yellowknife who erupted when he ended his speech with "Mahsi Cho" and "Quyanainni," the Dene and Inuvialuktun words for "thank you".

During his speech, he said: "This place is what Canada is all about: vast, open beauty; tough, resilient, friendly peoples; true nature; true humanity.

"Catherine and I are deeply honoured. We have been here 12 hours and we've already sensed the extraordinary potential of this region."

Then much to the delight of young local players William tried his hand at street hockey - although he missed all three shots at the goal.

Kate suggested her high heels might not benefit her game, so she declined despite encouragement from the crowds.

Royal fans have relished these lighter moments, which go a long way to sealing the modern, relatable image that this tour is all about projecting.

For the Aboriginal Dene group the drum is a sacred object - and for them their performance in Yellowknife was a sacred moment.

For the couple it was one of tens of displays they have been given so far - but the Duchess is scoring top marks displaying the crucial ability to look engaged and interested in every one.

After visiting Slave Lake, the couple intended to spend some time away from the cameras.

With each stop the glamorous pair are leaving starstruck Canadians in their wake - a so far successful mission to reignite the interest and love of a nation.