NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Harry's new 'girlfriend' still buzzing (+video)

By Katee Shanks news@dailypost co nz
Rotorua Daily Post·
17 May, 2015 12:25 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Prince Harry is greeted with a hongi by Ruatoki's Ohinemataroa Iti-Kereopa at Government House.
Photo / Pool
Prince Harry is greeted with a hongi by Ruatoki's Ohinemataroa Iti-Kereopa at Government House. Photo / Pool

Prince Harry is greeted with a hongi by Ruatoki's Ohinemataroa Iti-Kereopa at Government House. Photo / Pool

Her face has gone around the world and she is even being referred to as Prince Harry's new girlfriend on social media.

But Ruatoki's Ohinemataroa Iti-Kereopa is taking it all on the chin. Actually - more on the nose.

Ms Iti-Kereopa was part of the New Zealand Defence Force kapa haka that welcomed Prince Harry into Wellington last Saturday.

Prince Harry arrives in NZ
This is Prince Harry's first visit to New Zealand and follows a month-long military secondment in Australia. The prince touched down on time at 2.30pm in a Royal New Zealand Airforce 757 plane, disembarking from the front stairs of the ...
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
0:00
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
    • captions off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Text Background
      Caption Area Background
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      Parachute First Aid: Tailored kits for families

      UP NEXT:

      NOW PLAYING • Prince Harry arrives in NZ
      This is Prince Harry's first visit to New Zealand and follows a month-long military secondment in Australia. The prince touched down on time at 2.30pm in a Royal New Zealand Airforce 757 plane, disembarking from the front stairs of the ...

      She was photographed greeting the prince with a hongi at Government House and the picture has been seen worldwide.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      Ms Iti-Kereopa has been amazed by the attention the image had received.

      "So many people have messaged me saying they've seen it," she said. "It's pretty awesome."

      Brought up in Ruatoki, Ms Iti-Kereopa said kapa haka had always been part of her life so progression to the Defence Force group after joining the Navy six years ago was a given.

      Last Saturday she and one other were given the honour of greeting Prince Harry with a hongi.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      "Usually one of the older ladies does the hongi but I asked, maybe even pleaded, to be given the opportunity and was eventually told yes."

      As well as the hongi, Ms Iti-Kereopa was also the kaikaranga (the woman who carries out the karanga) at the official welcome.

      Prince Harry watches a traditional Maori greeting as he attends a ceremony of Welcome at Government House.
Photo / Pool
      Prince Harry watches a traditional Maori greeting as he attends a ceremony of Welcome at Government House. Photo / Pool
      Prince Harry receives a wero during a welcome ceremony at Government House.
Photo / Pool
      Prince Harry receives a wero during a welcome ceremony at Government House. Photo / Pool
      Prince Harry performs a traditional Maori greeting or 'hongi' with Lewis Moeau he attends a ceremony of Welcome at Government House.
Photo / Getty
      Prince Harry performs a traditional Maori greeting or 'hongi' with Lewis Moeau he attends a ceremony of Welcome at Government House. Photo / Getty
      Prince Harry performs a traditional Maori greeting or 'hongi' as he attends a ceremony of Welcome at Government House.
Photo / Pool
      Prince Harry performs a traditional Maori greeting or 'hongi' as he attends a ceremony of Welcome at Government House. Photo / Pool

      She said Prince Harry asked how long she had been in the military and also said it was fortunate members of the Defence Force kapa haka did not have to perform the welcome wearing their full military uniform.

      Some of the posts on social media in response to the photo have resulted in a few laughs for Ms Iti-Kereopa and her family.

      Discover more

      Royals

      The ginger question the ginger prince got wrong

      11 May 04:44 AM
      Royals

      Prince Harry's emotional NZ reunion

      12 May 06:38 AM
      Royals

      Day of hugs for Prince Harry

      12 May 05:00 PM
      Royals

      Prince Harry: 'I'm losing my hair'

      14 May 02:20 AM

      On an entertainment website Facebook page, the caption under the photo says: "This picture of Prince Harry and a beautiful Maori woman has made headlines about the woman being Harry's new girlfriend because of the face-to-face contact.

      "It's only a traditional Maori greeting, called The Hongi."

      Many of her friends have joked about being famous with one suggesting she should have curled her eyelashes before the photo was taken.

      "It's been amazing and I'm still buzzing even now."

      Join the conversation on the Herald Life Facebook page

      Save

        Share this article

      Latest from Lifestyle

      Premium
      Lifestyle

      My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

      09 Jul 06:00 AM
      Travel

      What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

      Lifestyle

      The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

      08 Jul 10:00 PM

      Get your kids involved in your reno

      sponsored
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Recommended for you
      Armed police cordon off Hamilton street after serious firearms incident
      New Zealand

      Armed police cordon off Hamilton street after serious firearms incident

      09 Jul 11:42 AM
      Red Bull parts ways with longtime F1 boss Christian Horner
      Sport

      Red Bull parts ways with longtime F1 boss Christian Horner

      09 Jul 10:00 AM
      Against the odds: Maroons triumph in epic State of Origin decider
      Rugby League

      Against the odds: Maroons triumph in epic State of Origin decider

      09 Jul 09:30 AM
      Jacinda Ardern says she'll provide evidence to Covid Royal Commission
      Politics

      Jacinda Ardern says she'll provide evidence to Covid Royal Commission

      09 Jul 08:35 AM
      Lotto numbers revealed in giant $10m Powerball draw
      New Zealand

      Lotto numbers revealed in giant $10m Powerball draw

      09 Jul 08:32 AM

      Latest from Lifestyle

      Premium
      My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

      My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

      09 Jul 06:00 AM

      Telegraph: Battling sugar cravings after giving booze the boot.

      What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

      What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

      The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

      The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

      08 Jul 10:00 PM
      King Charles hosts state visit with burst blood vessel in eye

      King Charles hosts state visit with burst blood vessel in eye

      08 Jul 08:59 PM
      Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
      sponsored

      Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

      NZ Herald
      • About NZ Herald
      • Meet the journalists
      • Newsletters
      • Classifieds
      • Help & support
      • Contact us
      • House rules
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of use
      • Competition terms & conditions
      • Our use of AI
      Subscriber Services
      • NZ Herald e-editions
      • Daily puzzles & quizzes
      • Manage your digital subscription
      • Manage your print subscription
      • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
      • Subscribe to Herald Premium
      • Gift a subscription
      • Subscriber FAQs
      • Subscription terms & conditions
      • Promotions and subscriber benefits
      NZME Network
      • The New Zealand Herald
      • The Northland Age
      • The Northern Advocate
      • Waikato Herald
      • Bay of Plenty Times
      • Rotorua Daily Post
      • Hawke's Bay Today
      • Whanganui Chronicle
      • Viva
      • NZ Listener
      • Newstalk ZB
      • BusinessDesk
      • OneRoof
      • Driven Car Guide
      • iHeart Radio
      • Restaurant Hub
      NZME
      • About NZME
      • NZME careers
      • Advertise with NZME
      • Digital self-service advertising
      • Book your classified ad
      • Photo sales
      • NZME Events
      • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
      TOP
      search by queryly Advanced Search