Royal couple arrive, get to work in L.A.

LOS ANGELES – Bathed in sunshine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived Friday in Southern California’s vacation playground. But within minutes of touching down at the airport, they were whisked off to work.

After meeting a small group of dignitaries on the tarmac, the royal couple climbed into a black Range Rover and headed directly to their first event, a technology summit in Beverly Hills aimed at promoting U.S. investment in British tech firms.

The royal couple had tacked on a quick visit to Los Angeles following a nine-day tour of Canada, their first foreign trip since marrying in April.

Aside from a game of polo in the coastal city of Santa Barbara, much of the couple’s three-day visit is focusing on business and not pleasure. Their itinerary includes some hefty fundraising for good causes, promoting U.S. investment in Britain and charitable work.

The newlyweds landed at Los Angeles International Airport shortly before 4 p.m. in a Canadian military jet. The former Kate Middleton, who left Canada in a red satin and wool scarlet coat-dress by Catherine Walker, changed aboard the flight and emerged wearing a light-gray, knee-length dress with asymmetric draping at the shoulder. William wore a navy blue suit with a purple tie.

Their arrival was a lower-key affair compared to the largely rapturous welcomes they received as they crisscrossed Canada. A small group of officials including California Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife Anne Gust, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., Sir Nigel Sheinwald, greeted the couple at the airport.