Canada braced for 'Charlotte fever' ahead of princess's first foreign trip

Although Kate Middleton is used to being the centre of attention on any royal foreign trip, her upcoming tour of Canada might just see her daughter Princess Charlotte steal her thunder.

The Duke and Duchess Cambridge are set to embark on a tour of Canada next week which will be the first foreign trip for the one-year-old Princess and the country is already gripped by what has been dubbed "Charlotte fever."

They will be meeting with the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and special arrangements have been made in anticipation of the youngest addition to the royal family.

A nursery has been installed in Canada's Government House, complete with toys and soft playroom for the young princess and her brother George.

She and Prince George will have playmates in the Trudeau's three children, Xavier, eight, Ella-Grace, seven, and two-year-old Hadrien and will join a children's party in the city of Victoria.

Her Canadian fans get set for a glimpse of the toddler being hailed as a royal superstar. Charlotte, who turned one in May, has only been seen twice in public since her birth. Once at her christening and and then at Trooping the Colour in June.

Special meal plans are being prepared to cater for the royal children's tastes. The in-house chef has reportedly been given the recipe for Prince George's favourite, spaghetti bolognese.

And while William and Kate, who have 32 engagements to squeeze into their eight-day visit, are busy carrying out their more formal diplomatic duties, the children will be looked after by the couple's nanny Maria Barrallo, Mail Online reports.

The royals and their 12-strong entourage, including Kate's £300 a day hairdresser, will stay at Government House, a 13-bedroom stately home in Victoria, which is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

William's parents Prince Charles and Diana visited Canada in 1983, when they were the guests of Trudeau's father, Pierre, the then Canadian Prime Minister.