Finally! We have been waiting to hear the details of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s trip to Aotearoa since their visit was confirmed in June, and the itinerary has finally been released.
The Duke and Duchess will begin their royal tour of New Zealand on Sunday October 28 in our nation’s capital, Wellington. Upon arrival, they will be greeted by our lovely Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, who seems quite excited by the royal visit.
Speaking of the Duke and Duchess’ itinerary in New Zealand, Prime Minister Ardern said:
“The Duke and Duchess have a particular interest in youth, mental health and conservation, and they will have the opportunity to meet many New Zealanders working in those important areas, while also getting to enjoy some of our unique environment.
“I know many New Zealanders are looking forward to welcoming the Duke and Duchess back to Aotearoa, their first time here together. It’s exciting that Their Royal Highnesses are using their time in New Zealand to highlight the important issues of mental health and conservation.”
After a warm welcome from Jacinda, the royal pair will be invited to take part in a traditional hongi (which we know they both have experience doing – Meghan took part in a hongi while opening an Oceania exhibition in London last week and Harry took part in a hongi on his solo royal tour of New Zealand in 2015) with Māori elders Governor-General’s Kuia and Kaumātua.
The pōwhiri will also include a haka performance by members of the New Zealand Defence Force.
Meghan Markle taking part in a traditional hongi.
Harry’s hongi welcome at Government House in 2015.
The handsome pair will then travel to the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, where they will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
Next, Harry and Meghan will visit the UK War Memorial. The UK War Memorial’s design takes inspiration from two of New Zealand and the United Kingdom’s most well-known trees – the Pōhutakawa and Royal Oak.
Fans of the royal couple will be delighted at the next item on the royal agenda: a public walkabout in the Memorial Park – this is your chance to see the lovely pair!
The busy day will conclude after a reception hosted by the Governor General, which will celebrate the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand.
Harry and Meghan greeting royal fans on October 3rd in Sussex. We can’t wait for our turn in New Zealand!
On day two (Monday, October 29th) of their New Zealand stint, Harry and Meghan will soak up Wellington in local fashion – visiting a café. It’s not just for a delicious brunch though, the pair will meet with youth from a number of different mental health projects – a topic that’s close to Harry’s heart.
Next, they’ll cross the Tasman and travel to Abel Tasman National Park. After a traditional welcome, the Duke and Duchess will visit some of the conservation initiatives managed by the Department of Conservation.
The busy pair will then go on a bush walk with a park ranger to learn about the environmental challenges of protecting the park’s flora and fauna.
Before leaving the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park, Their Royal Highnesses will get the chance to relax at a BBQ lunch with the park’s youth ambassadors and local school children.
As if their day doesn’t sound busy enough, Harry and Meghan will also head back to Wellington and visit Courtenay Creative – an event that celebrates the capital’s creative art scene.
We can’t wait to see these two in Aotearoa!
On Tuesday the 30th, Harry and Meghan will travel to Auckland’s North Shore, where they will dedicate a portion of native bush to The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. They will also be hearing about the ecological importance of the bush.
We’ll have a chance to giggle when Harry and Meghan take part in their next ‘engagement’ – can you call welly-wanging a royal engagement? Well, that’s what they’re doing!
Harry and Meghan will participate in a welly-wanging competition with the Trees in Survival group children. For those not enlightened, a welly-wanging competition is a gumboot throwing tournament. No, we’re not kidding.
Prince Harry should have the upper hand – Harry, along with Duchess Catherine and Prince William, has taken part in a welly-wanging competition before.
The trio took part in a charity welly-wanging in London in 2015.
They will then visit Pillars with Jacinda Ardern. Royal fans will know that after Harry and Meghan’s beautiful May wedding, they received a lot of weird and wonderful wedding gifts from world leaders, but instead of a gift, our PM chose to donate money to a noble cause. As a wedding present, Jacinda donated $5000 to Pillars, a charity that supports children and youth who have parents in prison.
If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal couple in Auckland, the afternoon is your chance. Later in the day the Duke and Duchess are scheduled to greet the public at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour – so get your cameras ready!
After an eventful day, Harry and Meghan will finish their Auckland visit by attending a reception hosted by Jacinda Ardern at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. They will be joined by ‘young people who are making significant contributions to the wellbeing of their communities.’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will spend four days in our beautiful country.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will finish their royal tour of New Zealand in Rotorua, where they will visit Rainbow Springs. The pair will learn about the centre’s efforts to protect and breed the endangered kiwi and meet with conservationists who are trying to save the species.
Of course, no town visit would be complete without a public walkout – they will be greeting members of the public in the late afternoon. The pair will also visit Redwoods Treewalk Rotorua to learn about the forest’s history.
I think it goes without saying, that these two will be extremely busy while in our fair land! We hope they have a terrific time and highlight some wonderful causes that deserve a bit of media attention.
Bring on October 28!
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