5 Ways to Celebrate the Royal Visit

By VITA Daily

William and Kate will be making their second visit to Canada at the end of September, and this time, they’ll be touring B.C and the Yukon. When they visited in 2011, thousands of people lined the streets to see them. That’s one way to say welcome, but if you prefer to make slightly less effort, we’re sure they’d also appreciate you treating yourself to British-themed food, drinks, things to wear, or even a little holiday. —Aileen Lalor

• Time for Tea

  By VITA Daily

  A note to all: When serving Brits black tea, please don’t give them a mug of water and a bag to brew their own. Black tea is made by placing the bag or leaves in pot and pouring on freshly boiled water, then steeping for four minutes. Most of the time, good old Tetley or Yorkshire Tea will do, but to mark the royal visit, splash out on the Palace Breakfast Tea Set from Singaporean brand TWG. It contains two varieties: Breakfast King Tea is a hearty black-tea blend, while Breakfast Queen Tea is a green tea with notes of sweet lemon and rose. The duo comes in a royal blue gold-stamped presentation box.  $112, at The Urban Tea Merchant, www.urbantea.com

• In a Pickle

  By VITA Daily

  Pickles are not just those green vinegary things that are served with burgers. In the UK, pickle is a diced vegetable mix in a sweet spiced sauce of vinegar, apple and tomatoes. The only brand to buy is Branston, and it usually tops a cheese sandwich, but we’re partial to it with a Melton Mowbray pork pie and a slice of sharp cheddar. Branston Pickle, $8.95 for 260g and Melton Mowbray pork pies, from $5 for a small pie at The British Butcher Shoppe, www.thebritishbutchershoppe.com

• Follow the Leader

  By VITA Daily

  If a trip round B.C. is good enough for Wills and Kate, it’s good enough for us. Must-see places include Butchart Gardens and Victoria, Whistler, Harrison Hot Springs, the Okanagan and Vancouver, obviously. Not sure how to plan your itinerary? Visit Travelocity to book a package that takes in all the best B.C. sights and will even include treats you might not have thought of, such as the Private Sea-to-Sky Adventure Tour and Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise.

• Smell Like Royalty

  By VITA Daily

  Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles have the right to bestow Royal Warrants on companies they like and use. Current warrent-holders include Aston Martin cars, Asprey jewellery, Rigby & Peller bras, and even Samsung electronics. For fragrance, 150-year-old perfumer Penhaligon’s has the royal seal. One of its classic scents is Blenheim Bouquet, a citrus-and-pepper men’s fragrance created in 1902 for the then Duke of Marlborough and named after his home, Blenheim Palace.  $130, at The Perfume Shoppe, www.perfumeshoppecanada.com

• Plaid All Over

  By VITA Daily

  This season’s runways were full of plaids and tartans, and the Duchess of Cambridge often wears it too, though she’s more into kilts and scarves than flannel shirts. There are rules governing what pattern you can wear, since each design technically belongs to a family or clan. If you’re of Scottish origin, you can find your family tartan by entering your surname here. Anyone can wear the Black Watch tartan, a black, blue and green check. Tartantown offers dozens of tartans including Black Watch, and Canada and B.C.’s checks. A fine-weight wool scarf in Blackwatch costs $33.95.