British royals crown New York visit with gala dinner

Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate on Dec. 9 crowned their whirlwind tour of New York with a glittering gala dinner to raise money for the university where they fell in love.
      
The Duchess of Cambridge, resplendent in a midnight blue evening gown by the British designer Jenny Packham, swept up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a huge smile on her face -- despite the near-freezing weather.
      
Her hair fashioned into an elegant chignon and wearing drop emerald and diamond earrings, the duchess, who is five months pregnant, had reportedly worn the same dress in the past despite New York's status as fashion capital of the US.
      
She and her husband, who was dressed in black tie and dinner jacket, mingled for drinks with guests in the opulent museum's Velez Blanco Patio.
      
US television presenter Seth Meyers gave the toast, after Hollywood actor Tom Hanks reportedly had to pull out, and soprano Renee Fleming performed "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."        

The supper celebrated the 600th anniversary of the University of St Andrews in Scotland and raised money for scholarships.
     
Earlier in the day the royal couple, both 32, braved pouring rain to visit the 9/11 memorial, leaving a bouquet and handwritten note in memory of the nearly 3,000 victims of the Al-Qaeda attacks.
      
It was a somber note in an otherwise lightning tour that saw them hobnob with basketball superstar LeBron James, Beyonce and Jay-Z at an NBA game after William met US President Barack Obama on a solo side-trip to Washington.
      
Their three-day visit -- their first to America's biggest city -- is a mix of diplomacy, supporting their favorite causes and promoting...