As the weather conditions continued to deteriorate, there were rumors that the Cambridge's plane might have had to divert to another location, which would have put a damper on the much-anticipated arrival in Wellington, with a considerable chunk of the national and international press waiting at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base.
Fortunately, it was announced that the plane was delayed for about 15-20 minutes, and would be arriving in Wellington on the hour at 12:00 Noon (8:00PM on the US East Coast). Soon enough, the gray Royal New Zealand Air Force jet touched down safely on the ground, carrying the second and third in line to the 16 Commonwealth thrones (including the UK and New Zealand).
Within minutes, the Royal couple descended the stairs from the plane to the tarmac, where they were greeted by leading dignitaries. Prince George was secure in his mother's hands as he officially began what will become a lifetime of Royal tours like this.
The Duchess of Cambridge was looking resplendent in red, with a coat by Catherine Walker and a hat by Gina Foster - resulting in some Tweeter's to make comparisons between her and Jacqueline Kennedy. Indeed, she really brightened up the otherwise dull gray backdrop of the sky and the air force jet. Kate was also wearing a diamond and platinum fern brooch that was a Christmas gift to the Queen from the Women of Auckland during the 1953-54 Commonwealth tour.
From here, the family were driven from the base in a car (which was flying William's personal standard) to Government House, the official residence of the Governor-General of New Zealand. There, William and Kate were treated to an official New Zealand welcome, complete with a traditional Maori ceremonial dance and a 15 gun salute. Among those in attendance were students from Rongotai College (aged 9-13), who participated in the powhiri to the Royal couple. The traditional greeting also included a Hongi - pressing one's nose and forehead (at the same time) to another person - with the Royal guests, and the Duke of Cambridge inspected the Guard of Honour.
While all of this was taking place on the grounds of Government House, within the building, Prince George was watching the proceedings with his nanny Maria Barrallo, who was seen taking her own photos from the window.
Finally, after much hoopla and ceremonial, William and Kate headed into Government House to join with George for some personal time with each other before official engagements begin on Wednesday, April 9th.
In spite of the less-than-desirable weather conditions and aside from the slight delay, the Royal Tour has gotten off to a good start, and we look forward to the Cambridge's bringing a bit of magic, grace, and even fun to their future realm.
Photo Credit: Screen shots from live feed, LJ Holden via Wikimedia Commons cc
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