Photos: William, Kate, adorable baby George pay official visit to New Zealand
Britain’s baby Prince George embarked Monday on his first official tour, visiting New Zealand with parents William and Kate, but the eight-month-old missed the famed Maori welcome after being whisked indoors amid wild weather. Strong winds, rain and poor visibility greeted the royals in Wellington at the start of a three-week visit to New Zealand and Australia that marks the beginning of a lifetime of regal duties for the pint-sized prince.
Kate, 32, struggled to keep her dress and pill-box hat under control as she carried her son down the steps of the New Zealand Air Force 757 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 by designer Catherine Walker, 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 at all by the fact that we all got wet today on the tarmac,” Key told reporters.
“My sense is that they’re going to captivate the nation… hopefully they’ll have a great time.”
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Britain’s Prince William, his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and their son Prince George disembark from their plane after arriving in Wellington April 7. Strong winds, rain and poor visibility greeted the royals at the start of their three-week visit to New Zealand and Australia that marks the beginning of a lifetime of regal duties for the pint-sized prince: Reuters
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The chubby baby was lightly dressed in shorts and a white cardigan. Kate wore a buttoned-up red coat by designer Catherine Walker, adorned with a silver fern brooch that was a gift to Queen Elizabeth II when she visited New Zealand in 1953: Reuters
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The Royals were greeted with a traditional Maori challenge from fearsome-looking tattooed warriors in flax skirts wielding wooden spears, who threw a leaf at his feet as they issued a full-throated battle cry.The prince responded by picking up the leaf, symbolically showing he was a friend, before he and Kate performed a hongi, or nose-rubbing ceremony, with Maori elders: Reuters
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Kate – who has never been to New Zealand or Australia before – chatted to warriors in traditional dress with bare backsides, and was overheard telling one of the Maori dancers that the indigenous welcoming ceremony was “super”: Reuters
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Britain’s Prince William reviews an honor guard at the official welcome ceremony at Government House, in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, April 7, 2014. Britain’s Prince William and his wife, Kate, arrived in New Zealand’s capital to cheers from locals who braved windy, rainy weather to catch a glimpse of the royal couple: AP
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Crowds were relatively sparse due to the rain in Wellington, although a group of children huddled under umbrellas were rewarded with a brief chat with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge before they headed inside: AP
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Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, walk with the Governor General of New Zealand Sir Jerry Mateparae, left, and his wife Lady Janine at the official welcome at Government House, in Wellington, New Zealand: AP
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