William, Kate score in California charm tour

By Alex Dobuzinskis

SANTA BARBARA, California | Sat Jul 9, 2011 9:34pm EDT

SANTA BARBARA, California (Reuters) - On a green and glamorous California polo field, Britain's Prince William and new wife Kate charmed the deep-pocketed polo set and raised millions of dollars for charity in their first U.S. visit as a royal couple.

William, an avid polo player, made good on his promise to win a charity polo match and scored four goals for his team. That earned him a pair of kisses from Kate at the upscale charity event in the wealthy coastal enclave of Santa Barbara.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pulled off the event with the humor and effortless style that have come to characterize their 2-month-old marriage. The majestic backdrop of the coastal mountains only enhanced their magnetism.

While polo may be an elite sport, William and Kate have tried to make their three-day visit to California anything but stuffy. On Sunday, they will visit a children's art center in the middle of Los Angeles' Skid Row and meet military veterans and their families.

They will, however, see none of the large crowds that flocked to them on their tour through Canada before they came to California.

For the former Kate Middleto n, it is the first time in the United States and sunny Southern California clearly suited her relaxed and sporty style.

Arriving from Los Angeles on a sleek silver helicopter, the the duchess wore a silver and marble gray hand-painted chinoiserie silk dress by Jenny Packham. The duke sported a blue blazer over a white shirt and trousers before suiting up in a purple and white polo uniform.

GOOD HUMOR

The tickets for the match cost between $400 and $4,000 and proceeds will go to the foundation of William, Kate and William's brother Harry, for causes like military veterans and their families and sustainable development. The polo players also anted up $50,000 to play against the prince and $100,000 to play with him.

In his first public remarks of the visit, William deadpanned at a pre-match reception that he was "not a good loser" and charmed the room with typical British humor.

"The prospect of being able to let loose this afternoon is wonderful for me. That is what sport is all about, being it polo, football -- sorry, I mean soccer -- or whatever your preferred sport is," he said with comic effect.

Mindful of the economic austerity back home, William and Kate are making their California visit more about business than pleasure, with most activities centered on charity and trade promotion.

On their arrival in Los Angeles Friday from Canada, they went straight to a technology forum to encourage investment in a British tech hub. California Governor Jerry Brown gave the young royal couple an Apple iPad 2 loaded with California-themed songs and apps.

But celebrity is never far away in the entertainment capital of the world.

British soccer star David Beckham attended the reception in their honor on Friday. Later Saturday, A-list Hollywood stars from both America and Britain are expect ed at a black-tie dinner organized by the British Academy for Film and Television, of which William is president.

(Writing by Mary Milliken; Editing by Bill Trott)

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William, Kate score in California charm tour 2011-07-09T18:59:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: admin