Cloaked in powerful mana
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been greeted by hundreds of voices in a resounding haka and treated to a real kiwi experience on the final full day of their New Zealand tour.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Te Papaiouru Marae in Rotorua for a formal powhiri yesterday morning before having lunch there.
The duchess wore a specially woven korowai representing her mana and position as a powerful woman. Scores of people gathered at Rainbow Springs nature park to greet the royal couple in the afternoon. The media pack and others gathered at the hatchery were treated to a kiwi chick hatching in front of them moments before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived.
The royal couple learned about a kiwi breeding programme, and they got to name two three-day-old chicks – Koha means gift, while Tihei is from the Ma¯ori saying ‘‘tihei mauri ora’’, which means sneeze of life.
Kiwi for kiwis executive director Michelle Impey said the visit, and the global coverage the royal couple bring, would be good for kiwi conservation.
‘‘There’s a lot of preparation in hosting the royals but it’s worth it, ‘‘ she said. She also revealed gender neutral names were requested for the chicks, one from the Coromandel, one from Taranaki, as their gender is unknown at present.
Human Kiwis were able to get up close to the pair when they went on a public walkabout at the Rotorua Government Gardens later in the afternoon.
Earlier, at the marae, Prince Harry began his speech in te reo, and every line was greeted with applause, as schoolchildren in yellow polos, warriors with taiaha and korowai-clad kuia looked on. ‘‘Thank you so much for the beautiful cloak you have gifted myself and the duchess,’’ said Harry, adding it would be treasured in the family.
He then led the waiata himself, singing all of the words to Te Aroha in te reo.
Representatives of Tuwharetoa gifted the duke and duchess a carved waka tewhatewha, made from 2000-year-old totara. The prince was told not to take it to Twickenham rugby ground when England played the All Blacks because he might turn it on the Kiwis. The duchess received a bouquet of lily of the valley flowers from Trevor Maxwell’s grandchild Atareta – the same flowers she had at her wedding.