Britain’s Prince William and his new bride Catherine are due in California next month, for a trip the cash-strapped US state hopes will give a royal boost to its tourist industry.
While travel chiefs hope to showcase the Golden State’s attractions for visitors, speculation is intense over exactly where the newlyweds will go and who they will see during the July 8-10 trip.
Meeting Hollywood stars, enjoying the beach at Malibu, dinner with Elton John or the Beckhams – who may have some fresh baby tips for them – nothing can be ruled out for the three-day trip, due after a seven-city tour of Canada.
“No matter where they venture in California, the royal visit will create a global postcard for the Golden State this summer,” said Caroline Beteta, head of the California Travel and Tourism Commission.
“Certainly at a time when international travel is leading the rebound in the industry, it’s a pivotal time for California to be on the world stage with a such a highly-publicised visit by the royal newlyweds,” she said.
The couple have already narrowed down the options, saying last week they plan to visit “Los Angeles and surrounding areas” on the trip, the first to the US by Catherine, who married the man second in line to the British throne April 29.
That will have disappointed some of California’s top tourism spots further north, including Yosemite and Redwood national parks, San Francisco or Death Valley on the other side of the Sierra Nevada.
But it still leaves open a swathe of possibilities centred on LA, home to an enormous British community as well as the centre of the US movie industry, and playground to its Tinseltown stars.
“Their lives have already been made into a movie, so a stay in Hollywood seems natural,” said celebrity magazine People, referring to a television film released to coincide with their wedding.
A meeting with David and Victoria Beckham – guests at the wedding who live with their children in a Beverly Hills mansion – is seen as among the most likely stops.
In theory, they could even catch the British soccer megastar in action when his team LA Galaxy plays on July 9 – although that could be torpedoed by the birth of the Beckhams’ fourth baby, due in July: Who knows, the royal couple could be among the first to welcome the newborn.