Prince William and Kate end Seychelles honeymoon
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Britain's newly married Prince William and his wife, the former Kate Middleton, have left the island nation of the Seychelles after a 10-day honeymoon, officials said Saturday.
"They left happy and clearly content with their stay," said the head of the Seychelles tourism board, Alain St Ange, who saw the couple leave Friday.
William's office at St. James's Palace confirmed the couple had returned to Britain.
The palace said the couple "thoroughly enjoyed their time together, and they are grateful to the Seychelles government for their assistance in making the honeymoon such a memorable and special 10 days."
The island nation's foreign minister said the nation was proud to host the couple.
"The people of Seychelles are truly honored that Prince William and his wife chose to return to Seychelles for this special holiday and we are proud to have been able to offer them a peaceful and private getaway," Jean-Paul Adam said in a statement released by the government.
The string of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) off the eastern coast of Kenya is known for its sandy beaches, clear waters and secluded hideaways.
"We hope their stay was everything they had hoped for and we look forward to welcoming them back to our shores again in the future," Adam said.
The Seychelles coast guard helped ensure the couple's privacy as they stayed on North Island. On their last day the royal couple invited the coast guard ashore to personally thank them for their efforts.
The couple married last month before heading off to the island chain. The royal family and the Seychelles government had refused to disclose their location, saying the two were entitled to privacy on their honeymoon.
"In a world of so much turmoil they bring a welcome and much needed breath of fresh air with their warmth and humility," said the Seychelles High Commissioner to Great Britain, Patrick Pillay, who was also present to see them off.
英 윌리엄 부부 세이셸서 허니문 마치고 귀국
지난달 29일 결혼식을 올린 영국 왕위 계승 서열 2위 윌리엄 왕자와 케이트 미들턴이 인도양 서부 유명 휴양지인 세이셸 제도에서 열흘간의 신혼여행을 마치고 귀국했다.
세이셸 관광담당 부서 관계자는 21일 "그들은 세이셸에 있는 동안 매우 만족해했고, 행복해했다"며 윌리엄 부부가 20일 떠났다고 말했다.
영국 왕실은 그동안 윌리엄 부부의 신혼여행지에 대해 함구해왔으나 세이셸측의 발표가 있자 이를 확인하고 윌리엄 부부가 현재 귀국했다고 전했다.
세이셸 외교부는 윌리엄 부부가 세이셸에서 신혼여행을 보낸데 대해 자랑스럽게 생각한다고 밝혔다.
세계적인 휴양지로 꼽히는 세이셸 제도는 15억년전 아프리카와 인도 대륙이 분리되면서 형성된 섬이어서 해발 1천m가 넘는 높은 산과 바다가 절묘한 하모니를 이루고 있다.
115개의 섬으로 이뤄진 세이셸의 마헤섬에 초미니 수도 빅토리아가 있다. (연합)