Royal Couple Headed to Bay Area
Contra Costa Times, November 2, 2005
by Jessica Yadegaran

With any luck, San Francisco will turn what's been a royal snore into a spectacle.

This week marks Prince Charles of Wales' first visit to the United States in a decade, and the first official overseas trip with Camilla, since their April nuptials.

So far, the couple's eight-day visit, which began on Tuesday in New York, has been a bit of a bore, according to the British and American press.

After a short and sparsely attended visit to Ground Zero and a stop by the United Nations, the two dined with the President at the White House. There was no captivating princess dancing with John Travolta, as a radiant Diana did at a White House dinner back in 1983 in a visit that was marked by its glitzy fun.

That's where San Francisco comes in. After a quick stop tomorrow in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans, the royal couple will spend four colorful days -- the bulk of their U.S. visit -- in the Bay Area.

With an entourage of 16, they will visit cutting-edge organic farmers in Marin and take notes from Alice Water's Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley. They will check out the newly-coiffed De Young Museum and attend a British version of the hat-centric musical "Beach Blanket Babylon," featuring, no doubt, performers with Buckingham Palaces atop their heads.

"I think there's going to be a lighter touch here," says Martin Uden, Consul-General at San Francisco's British Consulate. "We've got the weekend, so we can actually get out of the City and have a more relaxed feel to it."

This is the Prince's first trip to California in nearly 30 years, and is in part sparked by his passion for the environment.

"He is an absolute advocate of organic farming and really seems to understand the urgency of sustainability," says Marin Organic executive director Helge Hellberg, who will guide the Prince through the Point Reyes Farmer's Market on Saturday .

Last year, Hellberg heard the Prince of Wales give a speech about farming to 140 representatives at the World Meeting of Food Communities summit in Italy.

"I really see this visit as an exchange of ideas, not just showing off how great Marin County is but learning from the Prince, as there's a lot of knowledge coming to our town," says Hellberg, referring to the chief of Britain's Soil Association, one of the oldest organic organizations, who will be accompanying Charles. "We will have a jolly good time."

The best time, no doubt, will be had Sunday night, when Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will catch a version of "Beach Blanket Babylon" catered to their visit.

"We're thrilled," says Jo Schuman Silver, producer of the schmaltzy, pop-culture infused musical. "We've heard from people who know them that they both have great senses of humor. This is as big as it gets for us."

It only got this big once before. In 1983, Queen Elizabeth attended "Beach Blanket Babylon" with Prince Phillip. Both adored the show, Silver recalls, and the Queen called her visit to San Francisco the high point of her U.S. trip. Perhaps she passed the tip to her son.

Officials at Clarence House, the Prince's official London residence, say the U.S. trip is intended to recognize the important bilateral relationship between the two countries, their common bonds and shared histories.

It is also part of a larger plan to test Camilla's transformation as a fixture in the Royal Family, and soften the hearts of those who still view her as a palace-wrecker.

So far this week, the Duchess has been relatively quiet at her American engagements, accompanying her husband and attending only one event, a seminar on osteoporosis, alone.

"I think she's going to bring a softer edge to things," says Uden. "It's all a learning experience and we have to see what happens. But for now they're sticking to slightly safer things, going to events together and whatnot."

Last week, a Gallup poll found that 59 percent of 1,008 respondents were "not at all interested" in the visit. Nineteen percent said they would like to meet Charles and Camilla in person, compared to 31 percent who, in a 1985 ABC News poll, said they would like to meet Charles and Diana.

But in a celebrity-obsessed culture, an older, grayer, and most of all, happier royal couple might not be that interesting after all.