Prince Charming delights Wellington

Prince William strolled among a crowd of 150 who braved cold Wellington weather yesterday for a ceremony at the National War Memorial. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Expectations are bound to be crushed when your only experience with princes is the dashing storybook variety.

So Amelia Ward, 5, dressed up to the nines and popped into the supermarket to buy a rose, hoping to lure over Prince William at a wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial in Wellington yesterday.

Her trap worked. William discovered her after the ceremony when he veered over to greet people outside.

"He asked if the rose was for him," mother Karen Ward said. "Then he took it and said 'Thank you very much'.

"Her only disappointment was he didn't have a crown on.

"She thinks all princes wear crowns."

Yesterday marked the official launch into royal duties that Prince William had largely put on hold while he finished his education. About 150 people braved the bitterly cold winds for a chance to meet the Prince after the formalities.

Christine Murdoch, waiting with her two daughters and niece, overheard someone ask the question on the tip of so many tongues - did he still have the Buzzy Bee?

"He said 'Oh, yes. I've had lots of offers for it'."

A trawl through the Herald files shows what the toy's probable fate was after a rompers-clad Prince was memorably filmed plonking his mouth over the Buzzy Bee antenna. His father, Prince Charles, appears to have saved the toy after William's brief encounter with it. Charles quipped, "I have much more fun with this than he does".

The wreath-laying to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II was William's first solo flight as the Queen's representative. Wearing the Queen's Golden Jubilee medal, he paid his respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, laid a wreath at the foot of the Sanctuary in the Hall of Memories, and met about 30 veterans.

It was William's last day in Wellington, where he was seen out and about in cafes and bars, and where he attended the second All Blacks-Lions test.

William will be in Auckland today to attend an All Blacks training session and watch the Lions play Auckland tomorrow.

He then travels to the South Island, before returning for this weekend's third test at Eden Park.