Kate, William depart US after charming Hollywood (AP)

LOS ANGELES – They came, they schmoozed, they fundraised.

Following a nonstop weekend that included a few chukkers of polo, time with Hollywood's own version of royalty and several events that raised millions of dollars for charity, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge headed back to the U.K. on Sunday.

Their Southern Californian stopover came at the end of a nine-day visit to Canada, the first tour Prince William and his bride Catherine have made since getting married in April.

The U.S. portion of their travels was a somewhat low key affair compared to their northern visit, where — French separatists aside — the duke and duchess were greeted with rapturous welcomes as they crisscrossed the Commonwealth country.

Excitement in California was more muted, though small crowds of well-wishers waving British and American flags lined up to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds and well-heeled fans paid thousands of dollars to sip champagne in the couple's presence at a charity polo match in Santa Barbara on Saturday.

Disneyland, the Hollywood sign and the beaches were not on the couple's agenda, but the duke and duchess managed to see a sweeping sampling of the Los Angeles area.

They also attended a star-studded, black-tie soiree to promote British filmmaking talent where the guests included Tom Hanks and Jennifer Lopez. On Sunday, they paid a brief visit to Skid Row, downtown's gritty homeless core.

"Just seeing the smile on Catherine, it was great," said 15-year-old Iliana Samaniego, who along with more than a dozen other performers danced for the couple at Skid Row's Inner-City Arts academy.

Like many who saw the couple, the performers were taken by their easy charm. Jessica Cornejo, 19, said she was thrilled when William gave a double thumbs-up and told them "brilliant" at the end of their performance.

Many at the school were impressed by how down-to-earth and casual the couple were and said they put everyone at ease.

"They were like your oldest friends and family," said Bob Bates, co-founder of Inner-City Arts. "The kids really took them to heart."

The trip also included a rare display of public affection. After scoring four goals at the polo game and stepping onto a stage to collect the winner's trophy from his wife, William gave her a kiss on each cheek.

Aside from the famous kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day, it was one of the first times they have embraced in public.

The three-day trip was a tightly scripted affair, though the William and Kate, as she is better known, took a few moments on Sunday morning to greet a small crowd that assembled near the home of the British consul general, where they stayed.

After attending a swanky reception to raise money for Tusk Trust, an African wildlife conservation group, their final stop before departing for the U.K. was with the group ServiceNation: Mission Serve, which aims to help veterans find jobs.

Inside the event in Culver City, giant U.S. and British flags hung behind a stage where the smiling duke addressed a cheering crowd.

"All the companies and employers taking part today are providing opportunities which mean something very immediate and personal to us," said William, who is a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter pilot for the British military. "Catherine and I both have friends back in Britain who could benefit from a brilliant initiative like this."

Kelly York, a 23-year Air Force veteran, came to the fair hoping to find a job that will allow her to remain in the Los Angeles area when she retires next year.

"I'm sure that they had 50 million places they could go and see," York said. "The fact that they even take five minutes to stop here and say something to the veterans, that's huge."

The duke and duchess met for about 15 minutes with the Fraijo family, which includes three generations of Marine Corps veterans. Steve Fraijo said William, who is a search-and-rescue pilot in the Royal Air Force, seemed committed to veterans issues.

"He knows what war is about," said Fraijo, 48.

After speaking with veterans, the duke and duchess helped prepare care packages for children of deployed service members. Their flight to London departed shortly after 4 p.m.

"As this is my last opportunity before we leave this afternoon, I would just say, on behalf of us both, how grateful we are to have been welcomed so warmly in the Golden State and the City of Angels," the duke said. "Thank you so much."

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Associated Press writer Thomas Watkins contributed to this report.

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William and Kate detour to fire-ravaged Slave Lake (AFP)

CALGARY, Canada (AFP) – Prince William and wife Catherine made a detour in their Canadian visit Wednesday to Slave Lake, where 400 homes and businesses were razed by forest fires in Canada's second-costliest disaster.

Some 7,000 people fled the town, 280 kilometers (155 miles) north of Edmonton, Alberta, when outback fires fanned by strong winds suddenly swept through in mid-May. It led to the complete evacuation of the town and the largest such displacement in the province's history.

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the fires caused CAN$700 million (US$725 million) in damage. Only the havoc left by ice storms that hit eastern Quebec and Ontario provinces in 1998 cost more to clean up -- CAN$1.8 billion (US$1.9 billion).

Incredibly, no fatalities or injuries resulted from the Slave Lake disaster as families fled with only their pets and photo albums in hand, waiting up to six weeks after the blazes cooled to return and sift through ash and debris.

"I'm very excited by (the royal visit)," Sandi Gaskell whose home was destroyed told public broadcaster CBC prior to William and Kate's arrival. She has been living in a trailer at a campground and has only just returned to work.

"I suppose it distracts from our own situation. We've lost something. We've lost lots. It's an exciting occasion."

As Slave Lake residents begin to rebuild, another area resident added: "Kate and Will coming will give us the boost to get through this and know that better things are coming."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met privately with members of the local fire brigade, ambulance crews, policemen and residents during a two-hour stopover in Slave Lake, as well as toured the devastation.

Trip organizers said they had waited until the last minute to confirm the stop because they wanted to be assured that the couple's presence would not disrupt the recovery.

The couple had originally planned to take a day off from the meeting and greeting, and official ceremonies, and sneak away for a romantic Rocky Mountain getaway.

After the stop in Slave Lake, they are to head to Calgary for the last scheduled leg of their tour taking in a rodeo on Thursday and Friday, before departing for California on July 9.

In advance of the newly-weds' arrival in Calgary, thousands of well-wishers began lining streets as early as Tuesday for a chance to see the royal golden couple when they land in the nerve center of Canada's oil sector.

On Tuesday, the couple played a bit of hockey in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, the disputed birthplace of Canada's national pastime -- several Canadian cities and towns lay claim to the title "cradle of hockey".

Aboriginals there signed Canada's first Arctic treaty 112 years ago at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush with William's great-great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. A century later, she is still affectionately referred to as "grandmother" by locals.

Their enthusiasm for William and Catherine was unbridled, going absolutely wild when the prince ended a speech saying "Mahsi Cho" and "Quyanainni," Dene and Inuvialuktun words for "thank you."

Dene is spoken throughout the territory, including in the capital of Yellowknife, while Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuvialuit along the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

William, Kate visit devastated Canadian town (AP)

SLAVE LAKE, Alberta – Prince William and Kate made a detour from their official itinerary on Wednesday so they could visit the northern Alberta town of Slave Lake, heavily damaged by a wildfire in May.

The royal couple landed at the community airport, where they boarded a bus with large windows for a tour of devastated neighborhoods. They saw burned-out cars, blackened trees and the remains of what had once been family homes — now reduced to charred basement foundations.

The couple walked down a street, asked many questions, and even stopped to touch one demolished car. At one point, William reached down to examine the rubble, then studied the ash on his hands.

After about 20 minutes, they headed to a local college, where a crowd that had been gathering since early morning chanted "Will and Kate" and "We Love Slave Lake."

The two waved briefly before heading inside to meet about 50 residents, who sat in plastic chairs at folding tables in the gymnasium. The duke and duchess stopped at each table to shake hands and chat. William patted one woman's shoulder.

They emerged for a walkabout to the delight of everyone.

The couple made the detour to Slave Lake with the hope of bringing some much-needed cheer to residents who face the daunting task of rebuilding their fire-scarred town. The northern Alberta community was not on the official royal itinerary, but the couple wanted to make a special stop to show support for the many people who lost everything.

More than 400 homes and businesses — about one-third of the town — were reduced to ash and debris when a wind-whipped forest fire swept through in May. The fire forced 7,000 people to flee in what was the largest evacuation in Alberta's history.

The newlyweds are on the seventh day of their nine-day trip to Canada, part of the first official overseas trip for the couple who wed on April 29. After the Slave Lake visit, they departed for some private time at an undisclosed location before their next official stop in Calgary late Thursday afternoon. Wednesday was originally scheduled to be a day of rest.

The fires left many wondering what — if anything — they would find upon their return. Some houses were undamaged, but others were razed and families have been forced to seek temporary accommodation.

The people gathered outside the college were pressed four and five deep against the barricades, eager for a glimpse of the royal visitors.

"It is very, very exciting for our town and our community," resident Shauna Fiddler said. "It will hopefully lift the spirits of many people who have had their spirits quite dampened."

Dwayne Verschoor, whose home was destroyed, said he can't believe the royals made a point of coming to visit.

"It's a pretty big honor and a privilege even for them to think of us over here in a small little town," he said.

Some Slave Lake residents are living in campers and mobile homes. Lucky ones, such as nursery school teacher Karen Scharf, have found rental housing. She said it's a tight squeeze with five adults, two dogs and a cat, but at least they'll have a roof over their heads for the winter.