Prince of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall's visit welcomed

Prime Minister John Key today announced the first details of the visit to New Zealand by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

“It will be a great pleasure to welcome Their Royal Highnesses to New Zealand from 10 until 16 November.

“Their itinerary includes Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, as well as a brief stop in Manawatu,” says Mr Key.

At each of these centres, members of the public will have an opportunity to see the royal couple.

“The Prince of Wales will be representing The Queen of New Zealand on the visit, which celebrates Her Majesty’s remarkable 60 years of service,” says Mr Key.

The Prince of Wales’s programmes will include a focus on New Zealand excellence and innovation in sport, agriculture and business.

The Prince of Wales will also take the opportunity to introduce his wife, The Duchess of Cornwall, to New Zealanders as she is on her first visit to this country.

More information on the visit programme is in the attached fact sheet.

TRH Diamond Jubilee Visit to New Zealand

FACTSHEET

Dates: 10-16 November 2012

The visit follows on immediately from an eight day tour of Papua New Guinea and Australia
The royal couple will attend events and celebrations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch as well as making a brief stop in Manawatu.
Auckland: Highlights include a high performance sports event, a public walk, and opportunities to showcase some of New Zealand’s innovative technology. The Prince of Wales is the Patron of the Campaign for Wool, and will attend an event highlighting New Zealand’s wool industry.
Wellington: Highlights include a Welcome Ceremony at Government House and the opening of the nation’s Diamond Jubilee gift to Her Majesty The Queen, a new Visitor Centre at Government House.
Manawatu: Highlights include a visit to Feilding, and attending an event with local farmers. As Air Commodore-in-Chief, The Prince of Wales will celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Royal New Zealand Air Force during an informal visit to Ohakea Air Force Base.
Christchurch: Following a welcome by Ngai Tahu, there will be a focus on the recovery strategy for greater Christchurch, including the creative temporary use of vacant spaces, and on the future plans for the city. The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will also spend time at the 150th Agricultural and Pastoral Show, prior to leaving the country late on the evening of 16 November.
During the course of a busy schedule, the Royal couple hope to spend a little private time together experiencing the sights that make New Zealand one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.
During the development of the visit programme over 300 invitations and proposals were received. Unfortunately, due to the practical constraints of a six day visit, it was not possible to take up most of these offers, despite the merits of the invitations.
A full itinerary will be released once details are finalised, closer to the time of the visit from the Diamond Jubilee Visit Office.
The previous visit of The Prince of Wales was in 2005 when, in addition to North Island main centres, he visited Dunedin and Otago. This will be The Duchess of Cornwall’s first visit to New Zealand.
More information on the visit will be posted on the Diamond Jubilee website closer to the visit: www.diamondjubilee.govt.nz