When in Wellington...! Kate Middleton and Prince William started their three-week royal tour of New Zealand and Australia with a traditional and very festive welcome from some of the locals.
After landing at Wellington Airport on Monday, April 7, the couple headed to their first official engagement at Government House in Wellington, New Zealand. There, they were greeted by the Kaumatua, or elder, for the Governor General's Office, who explained to them the significance of the Powhiri, or Maori welcome.
The Duke, 31, was then issued a Maori challenge called a wero, which involved the New Zealand Defence Force Maori Cultural Group advancing toward him with spears while performing various battle cries and gestures. At the end of the challenge, Prince William accepted the rakau tapu (spear) as a symbol of friendship. Middleton was later heard telling one of the warrior that she thought the greeting was "super."
Credit: EPA/Mark Coote/LANDOV
