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Home / New Zealand

Charles and Camilla visit sunny Auckland

NZME.
8 Nov, 2015 03:49 AM7 mins to read

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Prince Charles in Aotea Square with Auckland Mayor Len Brown. Photo / Getty

Prince Charles in Aotea Square with Auckland Mayor Len Brown. Photo / Getty

An eager crowd of fans and curious tourists has turned out to welcome Prince Charles and his wife Camilla in Auckland's Aotea Square.

The royal couple took a speedy trip through the sun-drenched square greeting the public before entering the Town Hall and separating to speak with different charities.

They were welcomed by mayor Len Brown, with a karanga from Fiona Smith of Ngati Whatua.

Prince Charles in Aotea Square, Auckland. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Prince Charles in Aotea Square, Auckland. Photo / Jason Oxenham

She showed Prince Charles a black and white photo showing himself and Princess Diana greeting school children -including her - at Greenlane Racecourse.

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She said she was pleased Charles remembered the event and told her he knew it happened in about 1980.

Many English fans also turned out to welcome the royals.

Flora Woods, from the village of Lacock in Wiltshire shared a conversation with Camilla about their shared geographical connection.

She said Camilla had lived not far from her village, in Reybridge.

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"She said it's a small world, lovely to meet you," Ms Wood recounted.

Anna Dixon, on holiday from the United Kingdom, said she was a "true royalist".

She joked that she was excited about seeing Prince Charles " but it would have been better if it was Harry".

Her friend Niamh O'Kelly, from Ireland, encouraged Ms Dixon to go in for a kiss, but when it came down to it the two girls settled for a polite handshake.

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Auckland resident Alec Field, originally from Notting Hill in London said New Zealand royal tours were the closest he could ever hope to get to Prince Charles and it was what kept him coming back each time.

"It's quite unique," he said.

One avid Kiwi fan thrust two packs of jet plane lollies at Camilla telling her they were "good to chew".

The royal couple laughed as TV3 personality Guy Williams shouted from the back of the crowd "I love you" as each went by.

Norman Fairley and Sheila Summers made the trip into town from Royal Oak this afternoon to see the Royals.

The pair, who moved to New Zealand from the UK in 1969 and described themselves as "royalists", had last seen the Prince during his previous visit to Auckland.

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"We saw Prince Charles at the last visit and shook hands with him and talked to him, and we still think it's a good thing," Mr Fairley said.

The 78-year-old from Edinburgh said the visit was good PR for New Zealand.

"It would be nice too if he stops and shakes hands, it's rather nice to see."

London-born Ms Summers, 78, said she was looking forward to seeing what Camilla was wearing.

"I was really sorry about the rain that greeted them [in Wellington], it was awful," she said.

"But then the sun came out and the crowds came out and it's lovely today too."

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Elizabeth and Hershel Richman from Philadelphia in the United States were on a walking tour of Auckland when they came across the royal welcome.

Mr Richman, 74, said the pair were on a three week visit to New Zealand and were excited to see Camilla and Charles.

"To see the Prince and Princess - or, she's not a Princess is she?"

Mrs Richman, 70, quickly replied, "No, she's not," before adding that it was a "lovely" surprise.

Their only other royal experience was seeing the Queen in London many years ago.

Mr Richman said there was a certain curiosity about seeing royalty in the flesh.

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"Just interested in seeing what they look like in person - we've seen them for so many years on the television," he said.

"We think Queen Elizabeth has been quite a personality, a dignified personality."

Mrs Richman added: "She's remarkable."

A Kiwi woman in the crowd, who did not want to be named, said it was "probably tradition" that attracted her to come along.

She follows the royals whenever they come to New Zealand and whenever she visits England.

"Sometimes one runs into them, just by chance," she said.

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The woman, who lives in the Auckland suburb of Kohimarama, thought it had become "irrelevant" now, however.

"I think it's probably time we became a republic," she said.

"Those people who came here, came with a sense of curiosity, I presume."

She had attended royal visits in the '50s and '60s and said there were certainly a lot more people at these sorts of events back then.

In the Town Hall, Prince Charles and Auckland mayor Len Brown met a group of Nga Rangatahi mentors, including singer Anika Moa and actress Teuila Blakely, and their young "mentees".

Poised in a palm tree-print frock as she explained the programme, Teuila asked the prince, "Did you watch the Rugby World Cup?"

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That prompted Mr Brown to joke that Charles may have stopped watching after the pool stage of the competition, when England was kicked out.

When the laughter settled down, the actress continued: "There was a lovely moment where one of our players gave his medal to a young boy. He said, 'It only takes a moment to change a child's life.' That's what this programme is about."

Charles asked Blakely's mentee Yvonne: "Has she made a difference?"

She replied yes, prompting Blakely to feign mopping her forehead and say, "Phew!"

The Prince said: "That's encouraging."Then Moa introduced her mentee, saying, "This is my girl Rosie, who's a beautiful singer."

Moa told Charles she had been a singer for 17 years, to which he responded: "It doesn't look like it!"

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She grinned, stroked her hair and replied: "Thank you. I'm Maori - we age well!"

Rosie was too shy to talk, so Moa went on to describe Rosie's style of music as "very sad but kinda like Beyonce", which got laughs.

Charles replied that Beyonce helped with his Prince's Trust charity, which also seeks to improve the lives of young people.

Rosie sung an original song about the struggles she faced growing up - but faced away from the audience of about 100 people, because she was too shy.

Others delivered spoken word and poetry.Prince Charles was then invited on stage and gifted with two bags, which he was instructed to share with his children and grandchildren.

The founder of Nga Rangatahi Toa, Sarah Longbottom, said the Prince had founded a similar initiative in England, which was also helping disengaged children.

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She thanked him for his time, and said his visit meant a lot for the members of Nga Rangatahi Toa.

"The kids always rise to the occasion. I was probably more nervous than they were," she said.

"Every experience like this really makes them realise that everything in the world is possible."

Stephen and Claire Cruttwell from Greenhithe on the North Shore brought their two kids Matthew, 3, and Katherine, seven months, to see the royals.

It was a good opportunity to start showing their New Zealand-born kids their heritage, Mrs Cruttwell said.

The couple moved to New Zealand from England eight years ago.

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"They do a phenomenal amount of charity work," Mrs Cruttwell said of Charles and Camilla.

"So it's nice to come and support them and all the work they do." "It's an important part of history," Mr Cruttwell added.

"And for New Zealand, as well.It's nice to support them because they've made the effort to come themselves."

He said living in Auckland gave them the opportunity to do these things, and get reasonably close.

It was not like the UK where there is massive security and numbers at royal events, Mr Cruttwell said.

Earlier on Sunday the prince and duchess were formally welcomed onto Ngaruawahia's Turangawaewae Marae with a powhiri and waka armada.

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