Canadians who have yet to send their wedding gift to Prince William and his bride-to-be needn't fret as the Government of Canada has got it covered with a donation, while the prime minister and his wife have promised to give the couple outdoor gear.
In a statement released Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the government will make a donation to the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary "on behalf of all Canadians."
The $50,000 pledge, "will allow the organization's volunteers to carry out their mission, which is to offer -- day and night -- a permanent search and rescue program to meet the needs of Canada's marine services, as well as to prevent injuries or loss of human life at sea," the statement said.
The Auxiliary was chosen because it was the only Canadian beneficiary the couple included on their list of charities well-wishers have been invited to support in lieu of wedding gifts.
In his statement, Harper also said that he and his wife Laureen will give the couple a personal gift of outdoor equipment they can use to, "experience Canada's natural splendour later this year."
When pressed for specifics, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said those gifts haven't actually been chosen yet.
"By outdoor equipment, we mean hiking and camping-style gear for them," Nina Chiarelli told CTV.ca, explaining that the gifts will be presented when the couple comes to Canada later this summer.
"Mrs. Harper will select the items personally," she added, explaining that the demands of the election campaign haven't allowed for the shopping trip yet.
In the meantime, the Governor General of Canada has gone to London bearing a personal letter from the prime minister informing the couple of the gifts and delivering his words of congratulations.
In an interview with CTV's Canada AM, Harper explained his personal regrets at not being able to attend the ceremony in person.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said, explaining that he nevertheless spent little time considering whether he could make the trip to London.
"As much as I would like to have that experience, I only have that experience because I'm prime minister and, obviously, doing these responsibilities comes first," he explained, referring to the election campaign that's now in its final stretch ahead of the vote on Monday, May 2.
Harper said that the Queen's own federal viceregal representative in Canada will do a fine job attending on the country's behalf.
"Canada will be represented by His Excellency the Governor General David Johnston who is an outstanding Canadian, as you know, and will do a great job of representing our country," Harper said.
Johnston, who travelled from Ottawa to London with his wife Sharon on Wednesday, is indeed thrilled to carry the figurative Canadian banner at the long-anticipated nuptials.
"Firstly, this wedding is part of our constitutional heritage," Johnston said in an interview at the Canadian High Commissioner's residence in London Thursday morning, as he explained that the wedding is significant to him on two counts.
"It's very personal to me," he added, describing the happiest moments of his life, all of which revolve around his own wedding and subsequent family life with five daughters and eight grandchildren.
"So my wife and I have a very personal feeling about this blessed and wonderful event of these two marvellous young people," he told CTV's Canada AM.
Looking ahead, Johnston noted that many more Canadians will have their chance to congratulate the newlyweds soon enough.
"We're so delighted that the first official visit of His Highness and Ms. Middleton now, his wife, will be to Canada," he said of the nine-day tour that will see the couple visiting Ottawa for Canada Day on July 1, before making stops in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.
"We're so thrilled that they would make Canada their first place to visit."
