Editorial: Harry helps restore faith in monarchy

Prince Harry demonstrated a willingness to interact with ordinary New Zealanders. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Opinion

Prince’s haka puts the seal on a visit that showed us a new side of him and helped rebuild his family’s mana.

Few people would be comfortable doing a haka in front of the world's media at the Linton Military Camp after only 20 minutes of tuition. When Prince Harry accomplished this with vim and vigour, it put the seal on what has been a highly successful week-long visit.

First and foremost, he, unlike his stiffly formal forebears, demonstrated a willingness to interact with ordinary New Zealanders. In so doing, he more than played his part in elevating the status of the British monarchy in this part of the world.

This visit was also important in Prince Harry's transition from a career in the British Army to a role as ambassador for the monarchy.

Therefore, absent were the adventure pursuits that would have been high on the agenda of a playboy prince.

From that standpoint, too, the visit was a success. While the matters in which he involved himself were generally of a serious bent, he went about them in an informal and engaging manner that struck a chord with New Zealanders.

In that, he was building on the approach of his older brother, Prince William, whose visits soon after the Christchurch earthquake and the Pike River mine tragedy were deeply appreciated.

Not so long ago, it was widely assumed that New Zealand would become a republic once the Queen's long reign ended.

That now seems a remote prospect. The success of Prince William and Prince Harry in repairing a tarnished family image has played no small part in that.