Prince Charles faced off a fierce haka this morning enacted by students at Taka College in Wellington where he was greeted by head pupils Joshua Nightingale, 18, Briana Boele van Heasbroek, 18 and harmonious singing from the school choir.
The Prince of Wales was sitting next to Joshua who was on his last official day at school.
“It’s the best time to be head students,” he said as he waited for the royal arrival.
After leaving the school hall the Prince moved into the music unit. While pupils played tunes in the background Charles was shown products made and marketed in an economics class that teaches the mechanics of how to run a business. The Prince asked several questions about organic shower and bath products. Then it was off down the corridor to the school’s computer lab.
The visit got active as Charles was next given a demonstration of the school’s sportspeople training. Some practiced indoor cricket and others rugby. The whole school lined up to shake hands with the future King.
“I touched his hand. I’m going to sell it for like a million dollars,” said one boy.
Plenty of pupils had their cellphones out taking snaps. And finally the Prince stood in front of the school and posed for photos. Applause broke out as he got into his car and left.
Meanwhile across town Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited combined dance and drama school Te Whaea and Toi Whakaari which began with a mihi whakatau (a semi-formal welcome). The Duchess wore a beautiful cream Bruce Oldfield dress and coat with a Scottish diamond thistle brooch that used to belong to the Queen’s mother.
As Camilla walked through the graduate exhibition by the Design for Stage and Screen students she was particularly taken by Chloe Alderton’s community art project, which is based on the latest adult colouring in trend.
The royal even signed the project to the delight of the students.
The Duchess then moved through to the Costume Construction Workshop where she was shown an array of work by students who are training for costume design roles in such places as Wellington-based Weta Workshop and opera and ballet companies around the world.
The royal asked questions of the students sewing the costumes such as how long they took to make and whether they were hand sewn. Student Victoria Gridley, whose costume had taken 55 hours to sew, told the Duchess she had moved here from Australia to attend the school, to which the Duchess answered “how are you feeling about the rugby?”
The World Cup is obviously going to dominate discussion on this royal tour!
Moving on to the dance component of the visit, the Duchess attended a rehearsal of the Dance Studies graduation production of Paquita (Grand Pas) with Gary Trinder, director of the New Zealand School of Dance.
She smiled throughout the performance and gave an enthusiastic round of applause at its conclusion.
She, and Lady Janine Mateparae were then presented with flowers by two of the dancers and posed for photographers with the students before being farewelled with a song.
Next stop for the royal couple is Dunedin where they will ride the Taieri Express from Mosgeil to Dunedin Railway Station, and do a public walk to Toitu Otago settlers Museum.
They will then part company – as the Prince of Wales will visit Animation Research while The Duchess will attend a literature event at the University of Otago – before coming back together to visit the Orokonui Eco Sanctuary.
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