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THE royals have touched down in Wellington, New Zealand with both Harry and Meghan making a quick dress change during their three hour flight from Sydney.
The couple touched down just after 3pm local time and were greeted on the tarmac by a handful of dignitaries including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The couple flew from Sydney on a Royal New Zealand Air force plane with the country’s Invictus team a day after Harry and Meghan spoke at the closing ceremony in Sydney.
Meghan changed out of her burgundy Hugo Boss gown into an ASOS maternity dress and a brown Karen Walker trench coat while Harry swapped his grey suit for a blue one.
Meghan’s black dress, which also comes in non-maternity styles, retails for $70 on the clothing website.
She also re-wore her Sarah Flint pumps, a staple from the royal tour.
The royal couple will spend three full days in New Zealand.
Harry and Meghan will tread a well beaten path by royal family members, visiting Wellington, Auckland and Rotorua, which is known for its thermal springs.
The Duke and Duchess will leave New Zealand on Thursday and are expected to fly home to the UK to await the birth of their baby.
Windy Wellington lived up to its reputation with Meghan appearing to struggle with her dress as the couple walked down the plane’s stairs holding hands.
It’s believed the couple spent much of the three hour flight chatting to the Kiwi Invictus team.
The royal couple have arrived at Government House in Wellington where they received a Ceremony of Welcome which included a haka.
The Duke and Duchess received the traditional hongi welcome from Governor-generals Kuia and Kaumatua.
After their time at Government House, they’ll head to Pukeahu National War Memorial where they will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior before meeting members of the public.
The couple will then sit down with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for a chat.
After their sit down with Ms Ardern, the couple will attend a reception hosted by the Governor-general of New Zealand before celebrating the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage.
New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the vote.
The couple flew out of Sydney Airport just after 10am Sunday with strong winds whipping up Meghan’s hair.
The royal couple said goodbye to a number of Australian dignitaries before the prince gave everyone a thumbs up.
The royal couple then climbed the stairs holding hands with Meghan giving a slight wave as she tried to hold down her hair in the strong breeze.
Meghan wore a lengthy, burgundy Hugo Boss dress to board the New Zealand plane and showed off the same pair of suede pumps and nude saddle bag from last night’s Invictus Games Closing Ceremony.
The loose-fitting Hugo Boss dress, which retails for $A450, appeared to almost completely conceal Meghan’s burgeoning baby bump.
Meghan wore her staple pair of peach suede pumps from the brand Aquazzura, which retail for $A911.
The mini chain saddle bag held by Meghan was from the brand Cuyana, retailing for around $A315.
Immediately after the royal couple’s final wave to their Aussie fans, the door of the NZ Air force 757 closed and after a quick taxi down the runway, the plane took off.
The New Zealand athletes boarded the plane just after 9am while Harry and Meghan’s motorcade made its way to the airport.
Teams of police with sniffer dogs were seen carrying out security sweeps on the fringes of Sydney airport.
Aides were spotted earlier this morning carrying a copy of The Sunday Telegraph onto the royals’ plane.
Neither the NSW Premier nor the Prime Minister was there to farewell Harry and Meghan, but they were represented respectively by state housing minister Anthony Roberts and Federal MP Julian Leeser.
Colonel Michael Miller will say goodbye to the Duke and Duchess on behalf of the NSW governor, David Hurley.
With her visibly blooming royal bump, the Duchess of Sussex has managed to keep up with most of the 60 or more engagements on a hectic visit, greeted by enthusiastic crowds from the bush to the Pacific Islands.
The royal couple attended the Invictus Games closing ceremony last night where Meghan stole the show with a “very personal” speech to the 12,000-strong crowd.
The beaming Duchess Of Sussex smiled and took to the stage with an easy confidence as she addressed the crowd at Qudos Bank Arena — her only speech in Australia while on the royal tour.
“It has been such an honour being here, supporting you and supporting my husband at the Invictus Games which he started four years ago,” she said to cheers.
The 37-year-old mum-to-be spoke passionately about the “camaraderie and close-knit sense of community” of the Games, before opening up to the crowd.
“On a very personal note I want to thank you all for welcoming me into the Invictus family,” she said.
“I’m not sure if many of you know this but a few years ago, before I met my husband, I had the incredible honour of meeting troops deployed all over the world from the UK, Afghanistan and several other countries.
READ MORE: MEGHAN AND HARRY’S CLOSING CEREMONY SPEECHES IN FULL
“In travelling to these military bases, I was given a very special glimpse into the lives of those who serve our countries. I was able to see the unshakeable bond between servicemen and women on the ground together, but at the same time to feel the palpable longing for family and friends while deployed. Once home, the need for that anchor of support from loved ones, especially given how much it accelerates recovery and rehabilitation is immeasurable. I’ve been reminded of those memories here.”
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