Royals land in windy Wellington
Print Edition
BRITAIN’S baby Prince George yesterday embarked on his first official tour, visiting New Zealand with parents William and Kate, but the 8-month-old missed the famed Maori welcome after being whisked indoors amid wild weather.
Strong winds and rain greeted the royals in Wellington at the start of a three-week visit to New Zealand and Australia that marks the start of a lifetime of duties for the prince.
Kate, 32, struggled to keep her dress and pill-box hat under control as she carried her son down the steps of the plane to be greeted by Prime Minister John Key.
The chubby baby was lightly dressed in shorts and a white cardigan. Kate wore a buttoned-up red coat adorned with a silver fern brooch that was a gift to Queen Elizabeth II when she visited New Zealand in 1953.
“I don’t think their enthusiasm for coming to New Zealand has been dampened by the fact that we all got wet today,” Key told reporters.
The arrival was one of the first times George, who is third in line to the throne, has been seen in public since his birth on July 22 last year.
He will be present at only a few engagements on the tour, with the family based in Wellington and committing to a relatively light schedule of day-trips and rare evening functions.
George did not attend the official welcoming ceremony on the lawns of Government House. His father William was greeted with a traditional Maori challenge from fearsome-looking tattooed warriors in flax skirts wielding wooden spears.
Kate chatted to warriors and was overheard telling a dancer that the indigenous welcoming ceremony was “super.”
The royals will have a rest day today, then George may have a play session with a group of local babies tomorrow.
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