Duchess of Sussex beats her husband in the art of welly wanging in New Zealand
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have gone head-to-head in the first sporting competition of their tour Down Under, as Meghan emerged triumphant in the unusual skill of welly wanging.
The Duchess threw a pink spotted wellington boot a little further than her husband, as they played the game with schoolchildren in Auckland.
The last time they enjoyed some friendly sporting rivalry, the Duke beat the Duchess at a netball drill leading one onlooker to joke that he had made an elementary mistake in failing to let his wife win.
On Tuesday, he rectified the situation, throwing his own boot gently underarm just a short distance.
The Duchess, who is unlikely to have come across the pastime of welly wanging in her previous life as a Californian actress, gamely stepped up, throwing her boot higher and slightly further.
Her "red team", made up of children from local Pinehill School, were named the victors, picking up a welly-shaped trophy.
Ryen Anderson, 10, who was on her team said: “Meghan was asking us how to throw and we said it doesn’t matter. She didn’t know she could throw that far and she surprised herself.
“She was really pleased we’d won and said next time we’ll have to do another one and Harry said next time ‘we’ll win’!”
The Duke and Duchess took part on the contest at North Shore Riding Club on New Zealand's North Shore, where they dedicated a 20-hectare area of native bush to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy.
James Guild, chairman of the QEII trust, equivalent of the UK’s National Trust and responsible for the QCC in New Zealand, gave a speech welcoming the couple and congratulating them on their forthcoming baby.
“Perhaps some time in the future we will see Her Majesty’s great-grandchild back in New Zealand to check up on the covenant dedicated by his or her parents on their first trip to New Zealand together.”
In a speech thanking locals for their determination to preserve the environment, the Duke said: "The sooner we fully appreciate our surroundings, and how interconnected we all are the better. Not just for our planet, but for the balance of all its inhabitants.
“The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy – or QCC - is a unique network of forest conservation projects.
“New Zealand was one of the first countries to join. And it has also shown great leadership in this area, inspiring other countries to follow, and leading by example.
“It is fitting that New Zealand’s contribution to the Canopy has been through its relationship with the QEII National Trust. The Trust was set up to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. Since then, nearly four and a half thousand covenants have been registered through the Trust.”
Planting a kōwhai tree, which was represented as one of the flowers on her wedding veil, the Duchess - wearing J Crew jeans and a Karen Walker blazer - picked up a shovel to muck in.
Chairman of the QEII trust James Guild, 69 said: “They are a very happy couple at the end of a long trip
“Harry takes a farmer’s perspective with rain. He said it was a blessing. He gets so annoyed when people complain about the rain as it's so important.”
Alex Chatterton, 11, from Pinehill Primary school, said: “I planted a tree with Meghan. She asked me why I do this and told us to get started.
“She was very good at first. She said ‘oh do you want gloves’ but I don’t need them! They were nice and caring and let you do whatever you want. It was fun.”
Meghan said to him: “I’ll shake your hands buddy! Doesn’t matter they’re dirty.”
Then it was onto the welly-wanging.
Isabella Iti, 10, said: "She’s really pretty and stands for women’s rights. Our teachers have told us a lot about what she does and how she helps people
“The two teams were really trying.
“I think Harry and Meghan are quite competitive as they looked like they were really trying to throw the gumboot as far as they could.
“They did really good, particularly Meghan. I think Meghan was thinking there was no chance she could win but she did!!”
Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess went head-to-head in the first public sporting rivalry of their marriage, as they joined young coaches for netball drills at Loughborough University.
The Duchess narrowly lost 2-3 to her husband at the Coach Core event.
Then, one of Prince Harry's team mates, 7ft 1in former basketball player David Robinson, suggested the Prince may have made an elementary mistake in winning, joking: “You've always got to put your wife centre stage. They are newly married, so he is learning that.”
New Zealand's wedding gift
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex later delivered a personal "thank you" for a "very thoughtful and generous" royal wedding gift which saw the New Zealand government donate money to children who have parents in prison.
On May 19, New Zealanders gave $5000 to Pillars, a charity which supports boys and girls with incarcerated parents by providing mentoring schemes.
Meeting them on Tuesday, the Duke said: "Both Meghan and I are thrilled to be able to spend time with you during our first visit to Auckland together.
"We became aware of Pillars earlier this year, when the New Zealand Government kindly suggested it would make a donation to Pillars - on behalf of the people of New Zealand to celebrate our marriage.
"That very thoughtful and generous wedding gift has created the four Pillars Awards, which will help to transform the lives of young people, including four special people in this room.
"Across New Zealand there are thousands of children who are affected by having a parent in prison, and without the right support these young people are much more likely to also spend time in prison themselves as adults.
"But through the work of organisations like Pillars, and the awards being presented today, children can now have stability in times of turmoil, supportive relationships around them, and a positive vision of their future.
"The support of Pillars helps to break the cycle. It helps to create choices which didn't previously exist for many young people.
"You are outstanding young people and I know you will use this opportunity to create exciting futures for yourselves, and to act as role models for others in your communities."
Duke of Sussex greets his hosts in six different languages
When making a speech in a foreign country, it is only polite to try out a few words of the native language to win over the crowd.
The Duke of Sussex today went one better, as he attempted to greet an audience in no less than six different ways.
The Duke, who addressed an audience of young people at a reception in New Zealand, offered his greetings in a few words of six languages: Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Niuean, Cook Islands, and Maori.
To loud cheers, and applause from the Duchess and Prime Minister, he confessed: “This is definitely the first time I have spoken most of those languages, so I apologise if my accent wasn’t any good, but I had to give it a go.”
The reception was aimed at celebrating Pacific cultures, with singing, dancing and conversation with young people working to lead their communities.
The Duke also used his speech to joke about his morning’s work welly wanging, which saw him narrowly beaten by his wife.
“We’re meeting little Kiwis, we’re meeting big Kiwis, being treated to your fantastic food, culture and sporting activities - well if you can call welly-wanging or gum-boot throwing a sport,” he said.
“Perhaps we should have a three-test series and see who comes out on top?”
Saying he and Meghan had both visited New Zealand separately before, he added: “It has been a joy to return here together to enjoy this stunning country.”
Addressing the young people in the room directly, the Duke said: “Despite the world you’ve inherited, your approach is groundbreaking and forward thinking, with an optimistic outlook that is inclusive of community, both people and nature, and conscious of the value of our mental fitness and how this is the key to the cure.
“You are arbiters of real change, and I must commend the Prime Minister in her approach and focus, in championing all of you.
“It is incredibly inspiring to see you forging new paths, while staying rooted in your language, culture and heritage.
“Meghan and I have enormous respect for you, and I want to close by thanking you for all you are doing.
“Your generation is quite literally energising the world and don’t ever stop fighting for what you believe in.”
In a nod to his wife, who quoted the suffragette at a speech earlier in the trip, he added: “As I was reminded the other night, one of your own, Kate Sheppard once said, 'The rain that refreshes the parched ground is made up of single drops'.”
The proud Duchess put her hand on her husband’s knee as he sat down, giving him a quick squeeze of congratulations.
Jacinda Ardern, introducing the royal couple, told an audience at the Auckland War Memorial Museum: “You all probably think you’re here to meet our wonderful esteemed guests. But I’m sure Their Royal Highnesses won’t mind me saying this: they’re actually here to meet all of you.”
She added: “Thank you for the warmth you have brought to your visit. Thank you for bringing such a genuine interest and focus on issues like mental health.”
The couple watched an energetic performance from dancers SaintzUp and singers Tone6, with Harry nodding his head and tapping his foot as he got into the Polynesian rhythm.
As they gave the performers a rapturous round of applause, young people, aged 17 to 25 were arranged into small groups so they could come and mingle.
The Duke told them “You guys are amazing”, while the Duchess asked: “What issues are you working on?”
Hearing about their concerns about the environment, diversity and mental health, the Duke, who is now a commonwealth youth ambassador, told them he hoped to “make people more aware of some of the issues that matter to you guys”.
Encouraging them to continue speaking out for their generation, he said: “This energy, this connectivity, its all here in you.”
The Duchess listened closely to a group from charity Inspiring Stories, as young women spoke to her about empowering indigenous minorities, getting young people involved in politics, and mental health.
Pregnant Meghan 'incredible' for fulfilling promise to tour, PM says
The Duchess of Sussex is “incredible” for fulfilling a promise to tour the Pacific while pregnant, the Prime Minister of New Zealand has said, saying the decision had only “increased my respect for the role that she’s playing”.
Jacinda Ardern, who gave birth to a baby daughter in June, said she and the Sussexes had not shared any baby tips but that she admired Meghan for her work while expecting.
She said: "It's just increased my respect for the role that she's playing at such an often tiring time.
"I have real empathy and I think she's incredible."
She added New Zealand has "a real affinity" with the Royal family.
Speaking before a reception at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Jacinda Ardern said: "There's a real connection between particularly William and Harry in recent years so it's nice to have been able to host them in such close proximity."
When asked if the question of whether the visit of the Duke and Duchess has changed views on New Zealand becoming a republic, Ms Ardern said: "It just really doesn't come up as much.
"The only time it really comes up is, often off the back of visits, people tend to ask the question.
"What you'll pick up from the New Zealand public is that there is a real affinity for the Queen and a real strength of feeling around members of the royal family, particularly given in the wake of some of our disasters that they've been quick to respond and be present."
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