"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 be welcomed so warmly in the Golden State and City of Angels," Prince William told a screaming crowd that gathered on Sunday at Sony Studios for a job fair for veterans.
Still, this was hardly a trip for hordes of commoners -- only a few caught even a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the flesh.
At the couple's arrival here on Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife, Anne Gust, presented them with a red, white and blue bouquet and an iPad2 loaded with Golden State images and songs, including I Left My Heart in San Francisco and Tom Petty's California.
A few minutes and thousands of photographs later, they were whisked away in a black Range Rover. By the time they arrived at the Beverly Hilton for an event focusing on technology in the United Kingdom, the lobby crowd had grown to a couple of hundred. But they missed any chance to properly stare at the guests of honor, who were escorted in through a different entrance.
Security throughout the weekend was carefully choreographed -- with street and sidewalk closings blocking the perimeter for each event. Even the public restrooms at the Beverly Hills appearance were cleared a half-hour before the couple arrived. On Saturday morning, the pair took in sweeping views of Southern California as they traveled by helicopter north to Carpinteria for a charity polo match.
Fans paid $400 for a chance to watch Prince William play polo -- $4,000 to join the couple for lunch.
Erica Stanislawski, 16, who said her father was a longtime member of the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, said that her interest was strictly about polo. "Polo is a great game," she began.
Her friend Lauren Lantry, 16, interrupted. "I'm excited to see famous people!" she said. "The prince is really cute. And she's the real deal and super-pretty."
The crowd dressed for the occasion: men in Nantucket red pants and seersucker and women in elaborate hats.
The Duchess of Cambridge was more understated in a floral print sundress, no hat and a pair of light brown heels.
The prince drew cheers every time he got near the ball, but squandered several early chances to score. But he scored four of his winning team's last five goals.
Onlookers rushed onto the field in excitement, but they eventually obeyed calls to return to the stands. And they screamed as the prince kissed his wife on both cheeks after the match.
The royal couple mingled with celebrities at an event for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts on Saturday night. Sunday was reserved for less fancy events, starting with a visit to a Skid Row arts center for children.
Their last stop before heading home was the job fair in Culver City, where Prince William delivered a two-minute speech, his most extensive public remarks of the visit.
"Catherine and I both have friends back in Britain who could benefit from a brilliant initiative like this," he said to the crowd of veterans, who held up hundreds of cellphones to snap pictures.
The couple spent a few minutes speaking to the Fraijos, a three-generation military family.
"They weren't what I'd expect from television, just so warm and cordial," said Steve Fraijo, who served in the Marines for more than 20 years.
When his mother, Sandra Ann Fraijo, mentioned she was from Kirkcaldy, in Scotland, Prince William responded eagerly: "They have the best fish and chips there!" And when her 13-year-old granddaughter showed off her British accent, she said the Duchess told her, "You do that even better than me!"
