The youngest members of the Royal family were in the spotlight on Thursday, seen laughing, smiling and playing at a children's party.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte looked like any other children would at a party – at first seeming a bit shy and sticking close to their parents, but later warming up to the crowd.
At the start of the garden party hosted at Victoria's Government House, the little prince sat on his father's knee, while Charlotte snuggled in the Duchess of Cambridge's arms.
But the pair gained confidence and appeared to enjoy themselves at the party.
In a cardigan and pale blue dress, the one-year-old princess played with brightly-coloured balloons and buried her beaming face in the fur of a small rabbit at the petting zoo. Her expression ranged from curiosity to pure joy as she snuggled with the black-and-white bunny.
The zoo also included goats, sheep and miniature horses.
The young animal lover broke into a smile again as she patted a large white goldendoodle named Moose as another young girl looked on. When he isn't greeting royalty, Moose works as a cancer therapy dog.
Wearing red short pants, knee socks and a blue sweater, Prince George blew bubbles with other children and tested his aim with a squirt gun. He laughed as he played with a spider made from balloons, and patiently watched as a clown made balloon flowers for his younger sister.
The three-year-old also sat on the back of a miniature horse, petting its mane while his father crouched by his side, holding him upright.
The party, held at what has become a home base for the family during their tour of Canada, was the children's second public appearance of the week.
It was attended by the children and families of military service members, who have loved ones currently deployed.
Prince William spent more than seven years in the Royal Air Force Service, and other members of the Royal Family including Prince Harry, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Queen Elizabeth II have also spent time serving in the military.
One of the children in attendance, a 2.5-year-old girl, spoke with reporters after the party. Young Kathryn Ward said she enjoyed the chocolate covered strawberries, and called Charlotte her friend.
When asked what she liked about the party, she told CTV, "I like princesses."
The tot's mother, Jeannie Ward, said all the kids really enjoyed the small details that went in to the event. Organizers prepared little wands for the kids, topped with star-shaped pieces of watermelon.
"It was a dream moment to be able to act like a normal person with somebody who is larger than life," she said.
The whimsical event was Charlotte's first official foreign party, and was only George's second. He attended a similar event in New Zealand in 2014, crawling around the gathering at only eight months old.
This time there was no need for crawling, as both tots have mastered their regal gaits. Not only was she up and walking, but the young princess also uttered her first word in public at the event, shouting "pop pop" near the balloons. She was also overheard calling Prince William "Dada," according to reporters at the party.
Following the party, the Royal Family retired for the afternoon, spending some private time together ahead of the final days of the whirlwind tour.
Prince William and Kate have been travelling across Canada's west coast this week, stopping first in Vancouver, then Kelowna, before flying north to Whitehorse and Carcross in the Yukon.
The couple will leave the children in Victoria Friday and travel to B.C.'s Haida Gwaii region in the morning, where they will spend the penultimate day of the trip.
They will take a canoe trip, tour a heritage centre and museum, and take in a traditional prayer, song and dance. Will and Kate will then take in a showcase of totem poles, arts, crafts and foods, then tour the Haida Gwaii Hospital, before taking a boat ride and going fishing with young members of the community.
They'll return to Victoria, where they will spend the final day of their Canadian tour visiting a family centre, unveiling a monument, participating in a discussion about mental health, and sailing on a tall ship.
With reports from CTV National News' Melanie Nagy and CTV Vancouver's Bhinder Sajan
