THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s royal visit to the US has been thrown into chaos by their Hollywood host Arnold Schwarzenegger’s love-child scandal.
Ex-governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger was due to show the couple improvements the state has made over green issues during their three-day official stay in July.
But aides are now in crisis talks over fears the sex scandal could engulf the entire visit.
Prince William and Kate Middleton flew back to Britain on Friday after a ten-day honeymoon on North Island in the Seychelles, as St James’s Palace aides attempted to finalise details of the tour.
Arnie’s sex shame broke while the royal couple’s team were in Canada and the USA last week checking arrangements for their arrival.
One royal retainer said: “There is a very big question mark over whether the former governor can be part of the visit now, or if he’d want to be.
“This clearly isn’t going to go away in a few weeks.”
St James’s Palace was expected to announce further details of the visit this week when the role, if any, of the Terminator star should emerge.
Arnie has already put all his movie projects on hold while he tries to cope with a potential multi-million dollar divorce from wife Maria Shriver.
He faces another punishing legal battle with Mildred Baena, the housekeeper whose love child by Arnie is now 13 years old.
His office said: “Governor Schwarzenegger is focusing on personal matters and is not willing to commit to any production schedules or time lines.”
A royal aide added: “His presence is now very difficult for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge but, of course, it is a matter for their hosts to make a decision on.”
The pair have stressed they want to make the 12-day visit as informal as possible with a minimum of staff and baggage.
Palace officials have been discussing whether the couple and their entourage could fly out and back on scheduled flights to give the tour a less formal feel.
But aides are struggling to cope with the sheer bulk of the kit needed to keep the couple on the road for nearly two weeks.
The Royal Canadian Air Force is laying on a flight just to get the couple’s clothes and office equipment around the country.
The plane will travel ahead of the royal couple so their kit can be laid out for them before they arrive at the next stop.
Kate’s fashion team has hand-picked more than 50 outfits and hundreds of accessories they say she must take with her for such a high-profile tour.
An aide explained: “The Duchess is going to be a walking showcase for British fashion. She will not be able to cope without professional help and lots of it.
“A dresser will be essential just to keep track of which clothes have been worn.”
Yesterday William and Kate were believed to be heading to their home in Anglesey, North Wales, after what they described as a “memorable and special” break.
A St James’s Palace spokesman 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 ten days.”
William and Kate were at the centre of an extraordinary security operation for the break that meant even the Seychelles government couldn’t say where they were staying.
The couple took over a £4,000-a-night estate on the Indian Ocean paradise island, where celebrity guests like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and David and Victoria Beckham have stayed.
A massive security operation involving the couple’s Scotland Yard bodyguards, local police and the Seychelles coastguard kept prying eyes at bay.
On Friday grateful William and Kate invited the coast guard troops on to the beach to thank them for their efforts.
Seychelles Foreign Minister Jean-Paul Adam yesterday said: “We are proud to have been able to offer them a peaceful and private getaway.”
Seychelles High Commissioner to Britain Patrick Pillay added: “They bring a welcome and much-needed breath of fresh air with their warmth and humility.”
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