Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: Tour of New Zealand - April 7-16, 2014

[angieuk]

I'm not convinced a lot of the Queen's jewels will be going Down Under?

A lot of it is newspaper speculation ---? Time will tell? I think Camilla has access to far more as the wife of the next King.

[Dman]

Paul Harrison ‏@SkyNewsRoyal 1h

#royal #William & #Kate will take an entourage of 11 with them, not incl protection officers - no members of the #Middleton family on tour

I think it's possible that Catherine may take a necklace or even a brooch on the tour but I'm not expecting a tiara as the royal women stopped wearing tiara's on official oversea tours in the late 90's. You usually see a tiara when The Queen is on an official overseas tour and if there another member of the royal with her as well.

It's a shame that royal tiara events for the British royal family on official tours died out. There use to be so much beauty on those tours back in the day.

[MarNoe]

Yay! There'll be a photocall with Prince George!

[angieuk]

So true!! The 1960's was a time the jewel's really came out of their boxes, with Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother!

[cepe]

Originally Posted by angieuk

I'm not convinced a lot of the Queen's jewels will be going Down Under?

A lot of it is newspaper speculation ---? Time will tell? I think Camilla has access to far more as the wife of the next King.

I do think the wattle and fern will make an appearance, in the same way that the maple brooch was worn in canada. They are attending as NZ and australian royals and wearing symbols of both countries is appropriate.

[roseroyal]

I'm looking forward to the visits to rainbow place, and Bear cottage.
Is the visit to bear cottage joint, or just the duchess?
Why does bear cottage sound familiar? Have they had a royal visit before?
Love the name.

[Dman]

Originally Posted by angieuk

So true!! The 1960's was a time the jewel's really came out of their boxes, with Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother!

Yeah, The Queen, Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Anne, Diana, the Gloucester's and Kent's knew what they were doing in the jewelry department on official royal tours back in the day. For some odd reason the royal ladies stopped wearing their jewels on the tours some time in the late 90's. No one really explained why that happened but I think they should gain some of that glamour back. Perhaps within the next reign.

I do wonder if William & Catherine will release on official photo for this tours, as they did for their Canadian tour?

[cepe]

No tiaras but I think the following 4 events will be "dressy"

10th April State reception at Government House in Wellington with Prime Minister John Key

16th April Duke and Duchess attend reception at Sydney Opera House hosted by Governor and Premier of New South Wales

23rd April reception at Playford Civic Centre hosted by Governor and Premier of South Australia

24th April reception hosted by Governor-General

[Spheno]

Originally Posted by cepe

No tiaras but I think the following 4 events will be "dressy"

16th April Duke and Duchess attend reception at Sydney Opera House hosted by Governor and Premier of New South Wales

i think in this case dress code will be the same as for Charles and Camilla (semi-formal?)

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/C..._M_haGpaSl.jpg

[cepe]

Originally Posted by Spheno

i think in this case dress code will be the same as for Charles and Camilla (semi-formal?)

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/C..._M_haGpaSl.jpg

I think so too - no tiaras but DIAMONDS (sorry - got a bit carried away there.....)

[MichelleQ2]

Wasn't there horse racing that had been announced on this trip (albeit i think from the racing grounds, not KP) - that a horse of HM was racing?

wonder if on one of their off days... or not at all.

[AdmirerUS]

Originally Posted by Skippyboo

Why does Kate need a couple of engagements before the tour? Why not William too? Or Harry? He hasn't really been lighting up the court circular either.

Well, no one would complain at all if all three went out and hit a few more places in need of a little royal attention in the intervening weeks.

[Dman]

Video:
Prince George's First Royal Tour-
Yahoo News UK & Ireland - Latest World News & UK News Headlines

[Sun Lion]

Originally Posted by MichelleQ2

Wasn't there horse racing that had been announced on this trip (albeit i think from the racing grounds, not KP) - that a horse of HM was racing?

wonder if on one of their off days... or not at all.

Alas MichelleQ2,

Today's Sydney newspaper -under the headline "The royal waive..No time for Randwick but, by George, Sydney's the winner" -

-quotes the Racing NSW chairman, Mr John Messara, as disappointed that the invitation extended to the Royal Couple to attend the premier $18 million race meet, (in which Prince William's grandmother's horse may compete), was declined.

News report is saying Racing NSW has been "dealt a major blow".

Report is also saying the Royal Tour is "almost more Contiki than royal itinerary".

("Contiki Tours" being a rite of passage/booze bus way, many young Australians and New Zealanders first see Europe - in case you haven't heard of them.)



I've posted some photos of the street-side of "Admiralty House" - where W and C will be staying while in Sydney - on the thread of CP Frederik and CP Mary's visit to Australia that I took when they where here last October.

Prince Andrew and then wife Sarah have stayed there, as has Her Majesty.

When the Queen and Prince Phillip were there, a fire-engine was parked in the driveway of the building across the road, with two uniformed firemen sitting in it, the whole time the royal party were staying there.

Much more security for President Bush Senior though - suited security men all over the suburb, (I live nearby), and rubber duckies zooming up and down the Harbour with frogmen diving off to check what might be under the water.

In their day Charles and Diana stayed at Government House on the other side of the Harbour, but this has been given back to the people of NSW and is continously open to the public, and for free, unless an official occasion is on- both the building and the gardens, so no longer an option.



Can't speak for New Zealand, but there will be lots of "iconic" photo opportunities with the Opera House, Uluru, surf-life savers, (remember Prince William's mother Diana doing that), and Aussie animals at Taronga zoo.

The little bilby might get some good publicity out of it. (We have chocolate bilbies alongside chocolate bunnies on our shop shelves at Easter, to help raise it's profile.)



W and C are expected to sign the First Fleet bible during the Easter Sunday church service. That's historic.


Cheers, Sun Lion.

[Sun Lion]

Originally Posted by cepe

FULL ITINERY FOR TOUR

Here is the couple's schedule in full, announced today by Kensington Palace.
April 7: Wellington: Royal party arrive at Wellington Airport and receive traditional Maori welcome at Government House

April 8: Day off

April 9: Plunket Parents’ Group, Government House, Wellington, where Prince George may accompany the Duke and Duchess

April 10: Blenheim: Wreath-laying at war memorial and visit to World War One Aviation commemorative event at Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, accompanied by film-maker Sir Peter Jackson; State reception at Government House in Wellington with Prime Minister John Key

April 11: Auckland: Meeting with air force personnel; yachting in Auckland Harbour; ride in amphibious boat

April 12: Waikato: Duke visits Pacific Aerospace; Duchess visits Rainbow Place Children’s Hospice in Hamilton. Couple both visit war memorial in Cambridge, then open Avantidome velodrome in Hamilton

April 13: Dunedin: Church service and visit to touch rugby tournament at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Queenstown: Visit to Amisfield winery and Shotover Jet white water ride on Shotover River

April 14: Christchurch: Event to commemorate 185 victims of 2011 earthquake; couple play cricket to help publicise 2015 Cricket World Cup; visit to Wigram Air Force Base

April 15: Day off

April 16: Wellington: Royal New Zealand Police College visit; walkabout in city centre; departure for Australia. Sydney: Family arrive at Sydney Airport then Duke and Duchess attend reception at Sydney Opera House hosted by Governor and Premier of New South Wales

April 17: Blue Mountains: Visit to areas affected by 2013 bush fires

April 18 (Good Friday): Sydney: Royal Easter Show at Sydney Olympic Park; Bear Cottage Children’s Hospice; surf life-saving demonstration at Manly Beach

April 19: Brisbane: Inspection of guard at RAAF Amberley; reception at Brisbane Convention Centre hosted by Governor and Premier of Queensland

April 20 (Easter Sunday): Church service in St Andrew’s Cathedral; visit to Taronga Zoo

April 21: Day off

April 22: Uluru (Ayer’s Rock): Couple visit National Indigenous Training Academy and Uluru-Kata Cultural Centre before taking afternoon tea with Chief Minister of Northern Territory and walking around part of base of Uluru

April 23: Adelaide: Visit to Northern Sound System studios, including skateboarding display outside; reception at Playford Civic Centre hosted by Governor and Premier of South Australia

April 24: Canberra: National Portrait Gallery visit; Prime Minister’s reception at Parliament House; tree-planting at National Arboretum; reception hosted by Governor-General

April 25: Canberra: ANZAC Day March and commemorative service at Australian War Memorial; departure from Defence Establishment Fairbairn, before transferring to scheduled flight to London.


Can MODs open and transfer this to Tour thread please?

Thanks cepe,

Good Friday at the Show should break attendance records as it's already the busiest day each year, so should be even more so with the Royals there.

The Mayor of Ipswich - the nearby township - was right on the money when he was on Australian TV a few months ago saying he expected Prince William to return to Amberley Airforce Base.(Biggest in the Southern Hemisphere.)

W and C are trailling in the footsteps of CP Frederik and CP Mary of Denmark at bit with the National Portrait Gallery, National Arboretum and Admiralty House.

Even racing each other in yachts has been done by CP Frederik and CP Mary.

I've been on the Shotover jet boat in New Zealand and the Duke and Duchess are going to find that thrilling - the driver aims at the canyon walls at full speed, and then at the last moment, just zips aside, though there are marks in the rocks where they leave it too late sometimes.

Smart to include Anzac Day in the schedule - important to both New Zealand and Australia - and appropriate considering the Duke of Cambridge's Royal role, and his personal military service.

Sun Lion.

P.S. Forgot to say, no suprise with Tassie and WA missing out, but people are a bit gob-smacked at Victoria's omission - even though The Queen was there semi-recently.

A TV station was asking it's on camera guests, and it's viewers via e-mailed selfies, to show their, (mock), outrage this morning - via facial expressions, raised eyebrows, scornful looks etc.

[Sun Lion]

Hi All,

Here are a couple of photos I've taken, from the water, of Admiralty House and it's neighbour Kirribillli House, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be based in Sydney.

(The smaller Kirribilli House is for the Prime Minister of Australia's use when he is up here from Canberra.)

W and C will look out across the Harbour to the Opera House opposite - (these photos are from the side, not the front).

Cheers, Sun Lion.

[Iluvbertie]

Originally Posted by cepe

I do think the wattle and fern will make an appearance, in the same way that the maple brooch was worn in canada. They are attending as NZ and australian royals and wearing symbols of both countries is appropriate.

In Australia they are given the courtesy of their royal titles but in effect aren't actually Australian royals at all. The only one with any status is The Queen. The government does give them the courtesy of allowing them to use their British titles here but in reality they are just William Mountbatten-Windsor with his wife and son. William may become Australian royalty when he becomes King but Kate won't ever be. They are here representing The Queen - not as representatives of us.

Originally Posted by Dman

Paul Harrison ‏@SkyNewsRoyal 3m
#royaltour The #Queen had to give Duke and Duchess of Cambridge special permission to allow two heirs to travel on same plane down-under

Strange comment considering that the rules were relaxed in 1982 to allow the heir and his son to travel together until the son turned 12 so why would anyone not expect that the heir to the heir would be allowed to travel with his own son when Charles and William travelled together until William was 12 and then again in 2002 when The Queen Mum died.

Originally Posted by Dman

Yeah, The Queen, Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Anne, Diana, the Gloucester's and Kent's knew what they were doing in the jewelry department on official royal tours back in the day. For some odd reason the royal ladies stopped wearing their jewels on the tours some time in the late 90's. No one really explained why that happened but I think they should gain some of that glamour back. Perhaps within the next reign.

I do wonder if William & Catherine will release on official photo for this tours, as they did for their Canadian tour?

1990s - the royals were on the nose and the idea of rubbing their wealth in the faces of ordinary people was one thing that they were advised no to do as it would only turn people against them more.

Personally I am pleased we are not going to see that showiness considering that Kate wouldn't wear anything properly and would cover any jewels with her hair.

The days of flouting one's wealth has gone.

[Sun Lion]

Admiralty House from the street side - I took these when the Danish Royals where there.

This is where the Duke and Duchess will be coming and going from most of the time. (Quicker than on the Harbour side.)

Sun Lion.

W and C won't get to see all the jacaranda trees down the street at their best - the purple flowering ones - though, wrong time of the year for them to be in bloom.

[Sun Lion]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

In Australia they are given the courtesy of their royal titles but in effect aren't actually Australian royals at all. The only one with any status is The Queen. The government does give them the courtesy of allowing them to use their British titles here but in reality they are just William Mountbatten-Windsor with his wife and son. William may become Australian royalty when he becomes King but Kate won't ever be. They are here representing The Queen - not as representatives of us.

Thanks Iluvbertie - I didn't realise that.


TV news is really pushing the Prince George angle, even saying "the future king, Prince George, in the tiny bootie steps" etc. (So much for his father and grandfather.)

Even footage of "George" the bilby was shown.

(Taronga's bilby enclosure is named in Prince George's honour.)

This will end up being the "bilbies and babies" tour if this focus keeps up.

Sun Lion.

[Eden]

Originally Posted by Sun Lion

Thanks Iluvbertie - I didn't realise that.


TV news is really pushing the Prince George angle, even saying "the future king, Prince George, in the tiny bootie steps" etc. (So much for his father and grandfather.)

Even footage of "George" the bilby was shown.

(Taronga's bilby enclosure is named in Prince George's honour.)

This will end up being the "bilbies and babies" tour if this focus keeps up.

Sun Lion.

Well I have dropped comments to people at college, friends at the beach and at dinner on Saturday night regarding the tour and the response has been 'who bloody cares'. The average West Australian it seems (at least those I have spoken to age range 18-48) are not interested. A couple people even commented that they thought we had gotten rid of the monarchy already! I will be interested to see just how well this tour is received.