From ritzy to gritty, royals head to Skid Row

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are heading to a downtown Los Angeles arts school for inner-city children.

Prince William and his wife Catherine will arrive in the gritty Skid Row area after attending a Sunday morning reception for Tusk Trust, an African wildlife conservation group.

The stop at the Inner-City Arts academy is the second to last of the royal couple’s whirlwind weekend in Southern California.

A crowd has started forming outside the academy, eager to catch a glimpse of the glamorous newlyweds.

Their final stop will be with the group ServiceNation: Mission Serve, which aims to help veterans find jobs.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

Hollywood royalty mingled with the real thing as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent a sun-splashed day on the polo fields of Santa Barbara County followed by a diamond-studded night amid movie glitterati at the midpoint of their tour of California.

Prince William wowed the crowd with four goals at his charity polo match then he and the former Kate Middleton headed by helicopter to downtown Los Angeles for a black-tie film industry event that drew Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand, Jack Black and Jennifer Lopez, among many others.

On Sunday, the royal pair will go from the ritzy to the gritty _ the royal couple will watch a dance at a nonprofit academy in the Skid Row area of downtown.

“There’s so much compassion in both of them,” said Los Angeles resident and royal-watcher Christian Kang. “I know they’re going to Skid Row, and I think that’s very good to see from someone in his position.”

They’re also slated to attend a job fair for U.S. servicemen and women transitioning to civilian life.

Saturday night’s soiree at the restored 1920s-era Belasco Theatre in downtown Los Angeles was organized by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, of which William is president, to promote up-and-coming British talent in the industry.

The duchess wore a flowing lilac dress with white waistband by Alexander McQueen. Fans cheered as they strode a red carpet and the couple responded by walking over and shaking a few hands.

“Before I start, I’d just like to thank Colin Firth for my opening line: I have a voice,” William quipped in brief remarks to the star-studded audience, referring to Firth’s role as King George VI in the acclaimed film “The King’s Speech.”

The guests included executives of major studios and entertainment companies along with such luminaries as James Gandolfini, Don Cheadle, Blake Lively and Kristin Chenoweth.

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