The Royals are not coming to Prince George.
Britain's Prince William, his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge and their two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte will visit Victoria (thrice), Vancouver, Bella Bella, Haida Gwaii, and Kelowna along with stops in Whitehorse and Carcross in the Yukon during a whirlwind tour of the colonies in late September.
But having Prince George visit Prince George is not in the cards. For the most part this might not be an issue, except they are going to Kelowna.
Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George are all rivals for the dominant city in the interior.
We each play second fiddle to the Lower Mainland and Capital Region District. We are the poor sisters, but we do like to compete.
So to go to Kelowna and miss Prince George might be considered a slight.
And to not have the young prince visit the city bearing his name might appear to make it doubly so.
However, is it really that important?
Do we really have such strong ties to the British Crown and royalty? Is the monarchy still relevant?
Listening to local people interviewed on CBC, one might get the impression the answer is "no."
After all, Queen Elizabeth II is the ceremonial head of our government but she has little to do with the way government actually runs - even in her own country.
Yes, she is still found on all of our money. Yes, she does make state visits and did open the University of Northern British Columbia.
However, when it comes to actual day-to-day governance, the Queen is an anachronism.
Even the Governor-General, who acts in her stead, is little more than a figurehead who speaks on behalf of the prime minister.
Sure, the Governor-General delivers the Speech from the Throne but it is written by the governing party and lays out their objectives for a Parliament not the Queen's.
At a practical level, the monarchy has little to do with how the country is governed.
On the other hand, Prince William and Princess Kate are celebrities.
Their wedding was an international event. The birth of their first child was front page news. They provide fodder for the paparazzi and tabloids on a daily basis.
Speculation about their marriage and relationship fill up pages of various gossip sheets. A search of "Kate Middleton" on in Google turns up 25.2 million hits.
Not all are about the duchess, but a fair number definitely are.
The monarchy might not be relevant to the governance of Canada but the royals still draw a crowd wherever they go.
Even a brief stopover at our airport would likely draw a crowd of thousands all vying for just a glimpse of the couple and their children.
Of course, there is no guarantee that Prince George or Prince Charlotte will accompany their parents. It is possible the couple will be on their own.
That would put a damper on the reasoning for a royal visit to our city.
But even without the kids, a royal visit would still be something.
Their visit to British Columbia and the Yukon is only for eight days. There is a lot to see in this province and eight days really doesn't do it justice.
At best, the couple will be spending a single day at each stop.
Plans for a sea voyage in a traditional Haida canoe and the trip to Whitehorse will occupy a lot of time just in getting from place to place.
A stopover in Prince George would be for only a matter of an hour or two if they keep to the rest of their itinerary.
They could always forego the trip to Kelowna, though.
We are much more in line with a flight to the Yukon. If they do have the young Prince George along, it would certainly be something for him to talk about. We are also the heart of the province truly representative of all the north has to offer.
Is the monarchy relevant anymore?
Probably not.
But would a visit from Prince William and Princess Kate be special?
You bet. So maybe next time.
