Will and Kate second honeymoon,Paddling into the distance, Prince William last night took his new bride to one of the most remote – and romantic – places on earth.
The royal took advantage of a brief visit to the frontier town of Yellowknife to fly his wife into the Canadian wilderness to witness the region's legendary 'midnight sunset'.
There, devoid of their entourage – including even their ever-present police bodyguards – the newly-weds set off by canoe to nearby Eagle Island, a tiny landmass boasting no more than two dozen small pine trees.
It boasts a white-sand beach sandwiched between pink granite rocks leading into the crystal-clear - and ice-cold - water.
There William and Kate feasted on local cranberries, bannock bread and Caribou steaks cooked over an open campfire in total peace and solitude.
Afterwards they described the evening to aides as 'magical'.
William, 29, arranged the evening as a surprise for Kate mid-way through their gruelling nine-day tour of Canada.
The couple arrived in Northwest Territory (NWT), one of the country's most northerly provinces, late on Monday.
Situated on the edge of the Tundra and peppered with thousands of freshwater lakes, NWT boasts some of the most beautiful - and inhospitable – countryside known to man.
They spent the following day visiting community projects and taking part in a fun street hockey game in the capital Yellowknife.
Then, in the late afternoon, they boarded a float plane which flew them 100 miles away to the breathtakingly picturesque surroundings of Blachford Lake.
Naturally there were some formalities involved. The first part of their visit saw the couple meet volunteers and officers from 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group whose 1,500 rangers are responsible for an estimated two million square miles of land in northern Canada.
William was wearing a pair of chinos and a blue shirt with rolled up sleeves, while his new wife sported a pair of skin-tight black jeans, olive shirt and cream and white deck shoes.
Afterwards Kate was made an honorary Ranger like her husband and the couple were presented with matching red hoodies which they immediately put on, William sweetly helping his wife to do her top up.
They were then both presented with traditional beaded moccasins designed and created by Canadian Ranger Joanne Tetlichi.
Kate, 29, seemed delighted by the gift and told Joanne: 'Thank you for these fantastic shoes, we will always treasure them.'
The couple also met students from Dechinta, the pioneering field-based university that teaches traditional skills to the indigenous First Nation community.
They were shown a smokery and traditional cooking methods before sitting around an open fire to talk to staff and students about the project.
Then it was time for William's surprise.
Waving goodbye to their staff, the couple paddled off to tiny Eagle Island, dubbed Honeymoon Island by locals, which is home to several Bald Eagle nests.
The spot is so far north that it never gets dark at this time of year.
Only at midnight does a low dusk finally settle, often producing one of the most spectacular – and slowest - sunsets on earth.
Mike Freeland and his wife Tessa Macintosh, who own and run Blachford Lake Lodge, helped to arrange the prince's surprise.
The couple spent their first night as man and wife on the island in July 1991.
After watching William and Kate set off in their canoe Tessa, 58, a mother of three, said: 'Its real name is Eagle Island, but ever since my wedding night we've called it Honeymoon Island.
'When I was taken there I thought my new husband was the most romantic man on earth and I'm sure that is just how Kate must feel now.'
Mike, 60, who has owned the land surrounding Blachford Lodge since 1980, added: 'The island is very beautiful.
'There isn't much on the island. But one of our chefs has prepared a meal of local cranberries, bannock bread and Caribou as well as some white fish for the couple.
'The midnight sunset here is regarded as the slowest sunset in the world and it is very spectacular. The island has a very special feeling and is incredibly romantic. It will be wonderful for them.
'Once you are there you are surrounded by nature. Only the sound of the occasional Loon bird in the distance breaks the silence.
'I think it is tremendous that they have decided to come here and spend time.
'They may not have long but after all the travelling and chaos of the past few days this really will re-charge their batteries.'
After three hours the couple were collected from the island by a motorboat and flown by float-plane back to Yellowknife where another day of official engagements beckoned, including a surprise visit to the town of Slave Lake which was almost razed to the ground by wildfires in May.
source: dailymail