Just over a week after landing in Wellington, The Cambridge’s have left New Zealand for the second half of their tour in Australia. What an incredible week it has been! As much as I would have loved to be blogging every moment of it, that was logistically impossible. Hopefully, you were all keeping up with our royal experts on the ground – aka, the press pack that never quits, but in the event you didn’t listen to me (how dare you), let’s recap the highlights, shall we?
Day Three – Prince George. Just everything he did. If there were an award for cutest kid on the planet, Georgie would win it. Scratch that, they would replicate his cheeks for the statue they give out at the ceremony to the winner. Which would be him. Every. Single Year.
The first official event of the tour was a playdate for George and ten other babies born within two weeks of him last July. Not surprisingly, George (and his cheeks) owned the room. He’s already breaking the ladies’ hearts to boot – he claimed a little girl’s toy in the name of the monarchy. Oh, and Kate wore Tory Burch!
Day Four – William and Kate headed to Blenheim where they commemorated the centenary of World War I with a wreath laying ceremony, a walkabout, a visit to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Ceremony with Sir Peter Jackson and finally, a State Reception.
Perhaps my favorite moment of the day happened at the walkabout in Seymour Square when The Duchess of Cambridge came face-to-face with a fellow princess:
Day Five – #competitivecuddles were the theme of the day as the royal couple battled it out in an America’s Cup Yacht Race in Auckland. Kate wiped the bay with William, beating him not once, but twice.
If it were possible for Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses to sell out, Kate would be the only one to make this happen.
Day Six – The power couple divide and conquer and visit their namesake, Cambridge!
While William went to Pacific Aerospace, the “children’s princess” visited Rainbow Place children’s hospice. The Cambridge’s then drew an estimated crowd of 15,000 in a town with only 18,000 residents. The best part of the day was Kate’s green Erdem coat. Someone please lend me thousands of dollars to buy it. I NEED IT.
Day Seven – Squashing pregnancy rumors one glass of wine and adrenaline rush at a time!
Day seven of the royal tour of New Zealand just may have been the most buzzed about – the day Kate silenced the speculators about a nonsensical pregnancy rumor with a rugby match, wine tasting and ride on a shotover jet in Queensland. Like any good day of alcohol and thrill-rides, the day began at church. SO MANY ACTIVITIES.
Day Eight – The final day of New Zealand public engagements took a somber tone in Christchurch, as William and Kate honored the lives lost in the devastating 2011 earthquake.
While the day took a reflective tone as the couple looked back on the hardships the Christchurch has faced and how far it has come since Prince William visited after the tragedy in 2011, the day’s engagements also looked to the future – including next year’s cricket world cup. Yes, Kate played cricket in heels. Yes, her hair looked PERFECT. The day The Duchess of Cambridge has a bad hair day is the day I stop loving Prince Harry.
LOOK AT THAT HAIR PERFECTION. This photo via @byEmilyAndrews will be coming with me to the salon very soon.
Thanks for a top week, New Zealand! Australia, you’re up!
So, what does one get for the future king who has everything? A hobbit, of course! The Prince of Wales, a reported Tolkien fan, spent time meandering about Middle Earth at the studio behind Peter Jackson’s upcoming Hobbit movie. Jackson himself provided the birthday boy with a personal tour of the property, leaving Charles saying, “I can’t tell you how grateful I am — the best birthday present I’ve had in a long time.”
Keep Calm and Harry On 