Hongi and the haka used to greet royal visitors
THEY HAD begun their trip to New Zealand the previous day with the traditional Maori greeting of rubbing noses, and as the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Auckland yesterday, another ritual awaited them.
This time they were spectators rather than participants, as a boisterous haka was performed by members of a Maori cultural group, with elders explaining each step.
Later, well-wishers jostled for position to try to catch a glimpse of Charles and Camilla on the walkway over the reclaimed land on Auckland’s waterfront known as Wynyard Quarter. It was the same spot at which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex met an enthusiastic crowd last year during their first overseas tour as a married couple.
At a Prince’s Trust tea at
(It) gives women a chance to face the obstacles that block their paths.
The Duchess of Cornwall speaks about the work of Women of the World.
Mantells restaurant with the rugby player Ali Williams, Charles brought up the recent World Cup in Japan, in which England saw off the All Blacks 19-7 in the semifinal before going down to South Africa in the final. “We like to share it around, said Mr Williams, who was capped 77 times for New Zealand.
Camilla, meanwhile, heard of the inspirational work that women and girls in the country were taking on, during an event for the charity Women of the World, of which she is president.
The organisation, set up by the theatre director Jude Kelly, after she left the West Yorkshire Playhouse, “gives women a chance to face the obstacles that block their paths”, Camilla told her audience.
The second day of the tour drew to a close with a reception at Government House.