New Zealand, January 17: Britain’S Prince William arrived in Auckland today at the start of a five day visit to New Zealand and Australia.
The prince was met at Auckland Airport by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and Governor-General Anand Satyanand in a low key welcome without pomp or ceremony.
As well as carrying out some official duties on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in New Zealand, the second-in-line to the throne will travel to Australia on Tuesday for a more informal three-day visit.
William is on his third visit to New Zealand, the first was with his parents, Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, as a nine-month-old baby in 1983.
He returned in 2005, representing the Queen at World War II commemorations and also taking time out to follow the fortunes of the touring British and Irish Lions.
William’s interest in rugby will take centre stage at the start of the tour with a visit today to Eden Park rugby stadium in Auckland where he will meet All Blacks and hear about plans for next year’s rugby World Cup.
He will later go sailing on Auckland Harbour in a New Zealand America’s Cup yacht and have a traditional indigenous Maori “hangi” meal cooked in a pit in the ground.
The prince is taking a break from his military career, which reached a landmark Friday when his father presented him with his flying badge after graduating from the Royal Air Force’s advanced helicopter training course.
Later this month William will start training to become a search and rescue pilot.
—Agencies