Anne Of The Island

Kate and William kick off their royal tour of Canada and the USA

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have set off on their first royal tour as a married couple today. Their visit begins in Ottawa, Canada with visits along the way to places including Montreal, Quebec and Prince Edward Island (where the book Anne of Green Gables is set).

After Canada, Kate and William will then fly over to Los Angeles in California where they will visit the Beverley Hilton Hotel and attend a polo match at the Santa Barbara Polo Club.

Whilst the population of the UK are excited for the coverage and many photo opportunities that will allow them to take a peek at how the couple are coping with married life, it seems that Canadians have always been notably more divided with their enthusiasm towards the royals.

When Prince Charles and Camilla visited Canada in November 2009, there wasn’t a great deal of excitement generated and a poll showed that the majority of the population felt that the monarchy was outdated. But after the Queen visited in 2010 general opinion improved and now the newlyweds’ visit has created a whole new generation of royal fans.

Those of you who can’t wait to see what the pair get up to whilst they’re away should check out our HELLO! magazine subscription. HELLO! magazine are the best source for any royal news and report on everything from what they did to what they wore (let’s face it, we love looking at pictures of Kate’s outfits!)

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Thoughts on a Re-read: Anne of the Island | Medieval Bookworm

And so her education is top priority. While there, however, she experiences her first love affairs, including proposals from several men and an embarrassing first proposal, and meets new friends as well as retaining old ones like Gilbert Blythe. Though Anne retains her dreamy nature, it’s clear that she is grown and ready to face the real world after her education.

I first read these books as a young girl and I found my enjoyment of them diminishing as they went on. I enjoyed this one more than I remembered, but at the same time I could see why I started to lose interest in the series as a kid. They turn more to romance than adventurous escapades, and while Anne is just as endearing as ever, her refusal to admit her love for Gilbert among other things obviously frustrated me when I was younger.

Saying that, though, I felt Anne really matured in this book and started to set aside her youthful foibles to become a proper young lady, somehow without losing the spirit at the core of her. I loved the addition of Phil, a completely lively new friend of Anne’s, and it was a delight to remember just who she falls in love with for all of her beauty and vivacity. Similarly, reading about all of the Avonlea folk getting settled and moving along in life is simply a delight for someone like me who would quite happily live in this world for a long, long time. Billy Andrews’ proposal to Anne through his sister was hilarious, as was Anne’s mortification over her story’s publication.