Royal tour: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry charm New Zealand
HE lost his own mum, Princess Diana, when he was 12. Now, Prince Harry has offered some help to a boy who has experienced the same trauma. EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
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HE LOST his own mum, the late Princess Diana, when he was aged just 12.
And today Prince Harry offered some heartfelt advice to a little boy who has recently experienced the same trauma.
The Duke of Sussex was on a walkabout at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour when he stopped to chat to six-year-old Otia Nante, whose unnamed mother recently took her life.
“Everything will be OK — look at me,” Prince Harry told the child as he explained to the boy how important grandparents were.
Harry spoke to Otia for several minutes, his Auckland businesswoman grandmother Te Nante, 52, told News Corp Australia.
Witnesses reported how the Duke referred to wife Meghan Markle as he consoled the child. “I have met this amazing woman and I have now married her,” he said.
Mrs Nante, who now looks after her grandson, said: “Harry just said ‘everything will be fine, you will grow up to be strong and positive’.”
The kind-hearted Harry may have been thinking of his own grandmother, the Queen, and her love over the years as he offered Mrs Nante words of support.
“You’re doing a great job, Nan,” he said. “Nans are so important in our lives.”
The Duke, who also received gifts including flowers and Marmite, then took a letter the boy wrote and promised to read it later.
During the walkabout, NZ PM Jacinda Ardern took photos of the couple with locals.
Earlier, the Duchess of Sussex was crowned the winner of a gumboot throwing competition.
On the penultimate day of their New Zealand trip, Meghan and Harry went head to head in “welly wanging”.
As torrential rain fell, the couple visited an isolated riding club, Redvale on Auckland’s north shore early today.
There, they planted kowhai and puriri trees and commemorated a forest area to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy — a special nature protection system.
But it was the Duchess’ sporting prowess that stole the show.
The newlywed couple joined local year 2 and 3 students as they threw the boots in a picturesque riding club paddock.
To student cheers of “Harry Harry” and “Meghan Meghan”, the pair then tossed their blue or blue spotted boots.
The couple laughed and encouraged their team to win before the Duchess emerged victor using a bit of Aussie cricket spirit and beginner’s luck.
The Duchess’ boot landed at least a metre further than her husband’s.
Students said the Duke had good technique.
The Duchess wore black skinny J Crew jeans and a Karen Walker blazer, her hair tied up in a ponytail.
Officials said the couple later laughed and thought it was an “unusual but fun” event.
Pinehill School pupil Isabella Iti said the couple “looked like they were really trying to throw the gum boot as far as they could”.
Meeting the Duchess was “awesome”. “It was amazing,” the 10-year-old said.
“There wasn’t too much of a rivalry. I think she was thinking that there was no chance that she would win. But she did.”
Ryen Anderson, 10, was on the Duchess’ boot team.
She said Prince Harry said he would win next time the couple competed in the sport.
Alex Chatterton, 11, planted a tree with the Duchess. She said “let’s get started” and offered him gloves, he said.
He described the couple as “nice, caring” and said they let him do what he wanted.
Their hosts were forced to raise umbrellas as a heavy shower fell.
A dozen children from the local Pinehill School performed a traditional waiata.
But the Duchess looked concerned as the rain started bucketing down over the singing children.
The Duke said he and his wife were delighted to be here “and the rain is a blessing”.
“As I learnt in the car there are no incentives [for joining the QCC]” the duke said. Farmers are getting onboard beacause they want to preserve the natural environment.
The Duke and Duchess, along with two pupils from Pinehill School, donned green gardening gloves to plant native trees.
Nelson Poll, 11, was on Meghan’s team and said: “I think Harry’s technique was better – it was straight forward instead of going at an angle.
“I said to Meghan ‘try to keep it forward and not too high.’”
They planted a puriri tree, indigenous to the northern part of the North Island.
The Duchess planted a kōwhai tree.
She could be heard praising the children for the effort planting the trees. “Well done,” she said.
Prince Harry said “thank you very much” to organisers as he and his wife got into the white BMW 4WD that took them to their next engagement in Manukau.
They wound down the window and waved to the media.
They are due to go on a walkabout tour of Auckland this afternoon. The couple’s last day is tomorrow.
HARRY’S SHOCK JOB OFFER
PRINCE Harry has stunned a New Zealand teenager with an incredible offer to work for him when she graduates.
University student and self-described “happiness entrepreneur” Lucia Kennedy, 19, hosted Harry, 34, and his wife, Meghan Markle, 37, when the couple attended a youth mental health event in Wellington.
“They came up the stairs in the Maranui Cafe, I was introduced and basically had a chat to them,” Kennedy told stuff.co.nz.
“Then I took them around all the participants and kept the conversation going at the next two tables.
“I said to Harry, ‘I finish uni in two years, I’d love to come and work for you’.
“He said ‘we’d love to have you, just give us a yell when you come over we’ll sort it out’.”
The commerce and psychology major was among those affected by the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011 and created Take A Chance, an initiative that shares the stories of high-achievers, clearly impressing the Duke of Sussex.
ROYALS TAKE HOLLYWOOD IN NZ
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were momentarily awe-struck when they came face-to-face with an actor dressed as an orc soldier during the second day of their action-packed trip to
New Zealand.
The Duchess of Sussex, who was wearing a white tuxedo dress by New Zealand designer Maggie Marilyn, joined her husband for the visit to Wellington’s Courtenay Creative, which runs programs for young people wanting to get into film.
Once through the doors of the centre, which opens this month, the royals were welcomed by costumed Vikings and knights, and an orc from Lord of the Rings.
The orc was played by Luke Hawker, 37, a film technician and stuntman from Weta Digital, the company founded by Peter Jackson.
“I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to shake their hands. They seemed genuinely scared, but I was very nice.”
Harry and Meghan then chatted with models wearing World of WearableArts costumes, including Lucy Aitchison and Nicola Provost, both 30 and from Wellington, before moving on to a body painter who was decorating model Letisha Rangi, 29, an artist from Aro Valley dressed in Day of the Dead paint, and her mum Carleen Murphy, in a red devil look.
Carleen says she was waiting for Meghan to mention her past as an actress, “But she was so gracious and let others shine. She’s even more beautiful than she is on screen. More lovely. An absolute beauty.”
After Harry took a turn on a virtual reality game, which gave him a fright, the royals were presented with a gold, paua and diamond necklace from The Village Goldsmith by orc Luke, who apologised for scaring them earlier.
HARRY’S JOY OVER ‘LITTLE BUMP’
The royal pair got a glimpse of their future as they comforted a shy young boy overcome by their rock star New Zealand royal visit.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoke of their joy at having their “little bump”, due next year.
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The newlyweds continued their crusade to “normalise” mental health discussion and warned of unrealistic social media “filter” dangers.
But it was five-year-old Joe Young who stole the show after the couple toured one of the country’s most “iconic” cafes above a surf club, in Wellington’s southern outskirts.
As the royals shook hands with 10 primary school students, the five-year-old schoolboy was overwhelmed as crowds cheered, rubbing his eyes hidden by a wide-brimmed hat.
In a touching gesture, the Duchess, 37, knelt down and spoke him at the line’s end before gently rubbing his hand and his stomach.
The Duchess, who is 15 weeks pregnant, was visibly moved as she asked questions about a hand-made flag. Her husband of five months then knelt down and tickled the boy’s stomach.
“Joe was very nervous and Harry was very nice with him too,” Houghton Valley School deputy principal Monica Mercury later said of Joe, who nodded when asked if he had fun.
The Duchess, wearing Outland jeans, a Jac + Jack top with a Club Monaco coat, later asked Maranui Cafe workers to deliver trays of sweets to the schoolkids.
After flying 160km west by navy helicopter, they walked spectacular rain-swept beaches and were given traditional welcomes at the South Island’s picturesque Abel Tasman National Park, 45 minutes away.
After a Maori elder told them to “chill out” and “relax”, the Duke, 34, described the rain as a “blessing”.
“From myself and my wife and our little bump, we are so grateful to be here,” he said.
MEGHAN OPENS UP ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA
Earlier, while meeting “inspiring” mental health campaigners at the Maranui Cafe — where the Duke eyed the mouth-watering food — they explored an issue close to their heart and how there was no “silver bullet”.
Criticising social media pressures, the US-born Duchess expressed surprise when told some Kiwis consider people asking for help “attention-seeking”.
While in Australia, the former Suits actress spoke of being “freed” after deleting her Instagram account and popular lifestyle blog, The Tig.
“Young people find it so difficult,” she said as she sipped a milk tea. “You see photos on social media and you don’t know whether she’s born with it or maybe it’s a filter.
“Your judgment of your sense of self-worth becomes really skewed when it’s all based on likes.”
The Duke, drinking water, admitted it took him years to confront his mental demons.
“Issues stemming from social media and gaming are a major problem for young people … globally,” he said.
The royal pair will visit the North Island’s Auckland on Tuesday for a “welly wanging” throwing competition.
If you are experiencing mental health issues or suicidal feelings contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, BeyondBlue 1300 224 636, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or Headspace on 1800 650 890. If it is an emergency call 000.
Originally published as Royal tour: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry charm New Zealand