Many of the people of Whanganui who came out to see Prince Harry today remembered the day his mother Princess Diana came to town back in 1983. Harry wasn’t even born, but today seeing Diana’s youngest charming everyone he met, there was the sort of electric atmosphere that his mother used to ignite.
There’s also something unique and special about this dramatic part of New Zealand’s north island, set around the mouth of the Whanganui River. It was the site of a major pre-European Māori settlement and that sense of culture, spirituality and history is in the air.
The royals have always been drawn here. In 1927, the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) came to Whanganui, their daughter Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1953 with the Duke of Edinburgh and in 1982 Harry’s uncle Prince Edward was a familiar face around town when he lived here for a year while working as a house tutor and junior master for two terms at Wanganui Collegiate School.
Today Prince Harry continued the family connection and also won more hearts. Prince Harry’s tour of New Zealand is just getting better and better and it’s all down to the royal’s enthusiasm for everything he is asked to do. Today that meant giving a speech in Maori te reo – no easy task – becoming one of the oarsmen in a traditional waka (boat), battling against the current rowing up the Whangani River, meeting war veterans and greeting the hundreds who had waited for hours to see him.
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The day started with a powerful piece of ritual with Prince Harry receiving a powhiri (welcome) at Putiki Marae, a sacred place for the local Maori tribe. Before he arrived the heavens had opened, but the rain stopped just in time for the Prince’s arrival.
Harry looked apprehensive as he stood at the Marae gate wearing the korowai (traditional cloak), this was a big occasion for the young royal.
He was met with a traditional wero, or challenge, by three Maori warriors in piupiu (dance kilts made from flax) enacting a rousing and quite terrifying haka, slapping their thighs with wide staring eyes, chanting in unison.
A complex ceremony proceeded to welcome the Prince which captivated invitees. Awaiting Harry on the Marae grounds were around 150 people, including Maori elders and school children. In an impressive speech Prince Harry mastered Maori te reo with what elders assured The Weekly was perfect pronunciation.
He thanked Governor-General Sir Jerry Mataparae for being with him during his trip to the city – the place where he grew up – and also recalled his uncle Prince Edward’s time in Whanganui in 1982.
“Unfortunately I’m not able to spend a year in Whanganui like my uncle did,” he quipped.
In a speech from a Maori elder Princess Diana was honoured for being a woman of the people and raising her children so well. It was a poignant moment for Harry.
Later under grey skies, Prince Harry became the first royal to travel along the Whanganui River. Never shy of a challenge the Prince helped paddle the 12-person waka near the Putiki Marae, sitting with the Moari warriors.
When they greeted him one of the younger lads cheekily produced a phone to take a selfie with the Prince. “Where did you keep that,” joked Harry looking at the oarsman who was clad just in his very skimpy tribal skirt with no underpants.
Chatting happily to his fellow crew, the Prince picked up the art of the rhythmic rowing in seconds. They powerfully paddled along the Whanganui River and under the Whanganui City Bridge, before docking near the Waimarie wharf where the sun finally made an appearance, as well as a massive crowd of onlookers who welcomed him to the city.
June Dempster, 65, from Palmerston North had brought along her grandchildren Chanal, 5, and Hannah, 9, and was holding signs she had made featuring photographs of Diana with Princes William and Harry. June had met Princess Diana here in 1983 and remembers her “long cool hands” and how warm and lovely she was. Today she said Harry was just like her.
Later Harry arrived at the Wanganui War Memorial Centre and was met by a crowd of about 250 people.
Inside the centre Prince Harry and Wanganui veterans tucked in to lamb and kumara cottage pies and mini pavlovas decorated with kiwifruit cooked by local chef Joe Power.
Harry was very at home with the veterans and spoke to each table in turn. He remarked that it must be one of the few opportunities for the veterans to get together. “Apart from the RSA,” a few vets quipped, which got a laugh.
Among the vets was 95-year-old Ken Newton, who was an able seaman on the HMNZS Achilles involved in the Battle of the River Plate in September 1939, the first naval battle of World War 2 and had actually met King George VI when he visited the ship.
“I was just a silly basket from Wanganui Tech but they fouled up the way the King was reviewing the ranks and he didn’t go the way the officers planned. I was going to stay below decks but was ordered on deck,” Newton recalled. “So I ended up having a chat with him. Nothing serious really, just idle talk, but it was a lot of fun.”
He had a photo with him showing the King inspecting the crew, and was able to share that memory with Prince Harry when he stopped at his table.
When the Prince emerged after lunch a huge cheer went up from the crowd who had Ben waiting for hours. It’s now raining quite hard but Harry refused an umbrella. “He does that every time,” shared Harry’s equerry. “If the crowd can stand in the rain for him he’s certainly not going to shelter under an umbrella.”
Later today, Prince Harry will fly to Auckland where he will spend the remainder of his time in New Zealand before flying back to the UK on Saturday.
