Harry and Meghan participate in a Maori ceremony as they complete their tour of the Pacific

Entertainment



[ad_1]

For their last stop, the royal couple visited Rotorua's Te Papaiouru marae – a sacred meeting place in Polynesian societies – where he attended a traditional Maori welcoming ceremony called Pōwhiri. Queen Elizabeth of Harry's grandmother had visited the same site during a tour in 1953.

Prince Harry and Meghan were traditional Maori coats, called Korowai, of the Te Arawa people. The Duchess of Susbad's cape, draped in Stella McCartney's blue dress, was designed specifically for her and incorporated elements of her life, including her status as a king, her pregnancy and her roots in the California sun.

"We consider that the Duchess represents the strong values ​​of kaupapa for women – she displays aroha (love), manaakitanga (support and hospitality), mana (influence) and she is a great leader," said the Ngāti Whakaue eldest, Norma Sturley, who designed the cape, according to CNN affiliate, TVNZ.

Inside the meeting venue, Prince Harry began a speech in Reo Te, the Maori language, to the applause of the crowd.

"Excuse me if I switch to English," he said before congratulating young New Zealanders who "use their talents to preserve and promote the Maori language". He finished his speech by leading the crowd in a traditional Maori song.

Prince Harry is welcomed in Rotorua on the mare Te Papaiouru with a traditional powhiri (Maori welcome).
In the afternoon, the royal couple visited a hatchery for the kiwi, New Zealand's national bird, at Rainbow Springs Natural Park in Rotorua. They had to name two of the center's three-day chicks, giving them the native names, "Koha" meaning "gift" and Tihei, from the māori saying "tihei mauriora", meaning "sneeze of life" .
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Susbad watch kiwi chicks during their visit to the National Kiwi Hatchery at Rainbow Springs.

To complete their last day in New Zealand, Harry and Meghan wandered through a 117-year-old redwood forest, climbing a 700 meter-long rope walkway suspended from the treetops.

Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Susbad, visit the redwoods promenade in Rotorua.

Earlier in the day, the couple took part in their last walk and welcomed thousands of spectators lining the streets of Rotorua. During the meeting, the Duchess of Susbad took a girl out of the crowd and hugged her. Meanwhile, Harry noticed a toddler wandering in front of the gates and sending him home.

Meghan, the Duchess of Susbad, shakes hands with a young boy during a public walk at Rotorua Government Gardens.

The day before, Prince Harry had gathered applause from the pasifika community of Aukland, who had greeted them in six Pacific languages. Speaking at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on the occasion of a reception given by New Zealand Premier Jacinda Ardern, Prince Harry opened his speech by saluting the Maori and Maori from Samoa, Tongan, Fiji, Niuean and Cook Islands.

"It's the first time I'm using these languages," he said.

On the same day, Meghan and Harry greeted the audience at Auckland's Viaduct Harbor, when Meghan recognized a fan in the crowd. Hannah Sergel told local media that she had a habit of talking to the Duchess on Instagram before becoming a member of the Royal Family and deleting her personal social media accounts.

Meghan saw Sergel, who was holding a sign saying "This is Hannah from Instagram," and hugged her.

"She told me to do well at the university and encouraged me to be myself," Sergel said.

Harry and Meghan will return to the UK on Thursday after a hectic tour that began with the announcement by the Duchess that she was pregnant with the couple's first child.
[ad_2]
Source link

Tags

Powered by https://naaju.com/aus | Designed by Naaju
© Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved