Prince Charles and Camilla lay wreath at Mt Roskill War Memorial Park. Video / Leon Menzies
ROYALTOUR
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are on a six-day tour of New Zealand. Follow live today as they travel around Auckland.
2:45pm
The royal salute has taken place at the RNZAF base at Whenuapai which is packed out with military personnel and several members of the public.
Prince Charles, wearing formal military gear, is now walking through the group of service-people standing at attention - saluting each Queen's Colour as he walks past and taking the time to stop and talk with several people.
His Royal Highness Prince Charles takes part in the presentation of the Queens Colour for the RNZAF. Photo / Dean Purcell
A Colour is the highest honour which the Sovereign can bestow. During the 1953-54 Royal Tour of New Zealand, Queen Elizabeth II personally presented her Colour to the RNZAF.
The presentation was made at Whenuapai during a ceremonial parade on 28 December 1953.
As the Colour is now worn, a replacement has been formally presented.
Following the presentation of the new colour, Prince Charles and Camilla moved on to meet with families of the air base.
Shaking hands with each member of the families group - about 20 people - the royal pair spoke briefly with each person.
2:00pm
Prince Charles and Camilla spoke with Richard Kidd, a farmer of 40 years who provided lamb grown at Kaipara Farms in nearly Helensville.
"We got a call out of the blue ... it was a bit of an honour," Kidd said.
"We spoke about the lamb and I thanked him for being an advocate of wool, which is down on pride at the moment. However, the price of lamb is doing very well."
Charles and Camilla sample the wares at Hunting Lodge Winery. Photo / Luke Kirkness
Charles showed a lot of interest and was keen to talk about the farm, Kidd said.
The royals were then given a taste of the local wines, a platter of wines presented before them for tasting.
1:30pm
Now at the Hunting Lodge Winery, their Royal Highnesses will join a gathering to celebrate sustainable produce with local food producers and members of the local community.
During the visit, the couple will hear the story of the 'Paddock to Table' approach of the Hunting Lodge.
At Waimauku Charles and Camilla will join a gathering to celebrate sustainable produce with local food producers and members of the local community.
During the visit, the royals will tour the vineyard and the gardens where they will hear the story of the 'Paddock to Table' approach of the Hunting Lodge.
They will then sample New Zealand's first sauvignon blanc vines and learn of the history of wine in the region.
They will visit various food and wine stations set up by local food producers and winemakers and conclude the visit by making their own blend.
Apart from the first event, royal fanatics have been kept at a distance by security staff and police officers. Heading northwest from Mt Roskill, several people waved as the royal convoy drove through suburban Auckland.
However, a select few from the dozens of people inside the Wesley Community Centre and some Wesley Intermediate school children were able to interact with the royals. Despite the angry weather, all seemed cheerful and excited to meet the special visitors.
Rain has started to constantly fall in Auckland - Prince Charles having been handed an umbrella but was still smiling as he accepted gifts from the Critical Design crew - one of which a Māori axe made from recycled plastic.
The Critical Design crew presented Charles with a Māori axe made from recycled plastic. Photo / Pool
The materials recycled and re-purposed at Critical Design include plastic pipes, fishing nets, car bumpers and wood. Prince Charles was invited to create something for himself, placing shredded plastic into moulds.
"You're quite good at it," a staff member said. "Are you looking for a job?"
The joke caused Charles to smile and chuckle.
After finishing the moulds, he placed them beside a pie warmer to be heated up, causing the shredded plastic to melt and form together.
Next, they moved him onto a press where the Prince was given another hands-on experience, given control of the lever.
The shredded plastic was previously drinking straws, and the finished product Charles turned the material into was a puzzle piece.
12.15pm:
Charles is speaking with staff from Critical Design, who are explaining how the organisation takes recyclable material and reconstructs them into new products, such as small tables, kayaks, and even stools.
"Well done to everyone's thank you for that," Prince Charles said to intermediate students who were gathered outside. He also thanked the schoolchildren for the rousing haka that greeted him.
Cheers filled the Wesley Community Centre gym as a group of dancers performed for Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.
The Prince could be seen tapping his feet as both Charles and Camilla smiled as the dance group performed in front of them.
Taking a seat on the floor, the dance group quickly burst into song as dozens of people inside the gym embraced the group with large smiles and grabbing snaps of the dance.
The Duchess was presented a necklace after the performance by a young girl who embraced her in a big hug - much to Camilla's delight.
Earlier the pair toured the centre and met community groups who use the centre.
The Prince walked through the centre, talking briefly with a number of organisations, including Creative Collaborative Customs. The Prince spoke quietly, engaged in each conversation before quickly moving on.
The Prince of Wales presents a bicycle to local refugee woman Amina Shanko during his visit the Wesley Community Centre in Mount Roskill. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Prince Charles was gifted a printed white tee-shirt from Creative Collaborative Customs, which he was thankful for but unsure whether he'd fit it - sharing a chuckle with workers.
Then he was invited to create a printed shirt for himself, and given a hands-on run-through of what to do.
Moving on, Prince Charles talked with staff from RYZ FM who even played a Bob Marley track for the royal on his request.
A spokesman from RYZ FM said Prince Charles was the first royal he had met. "He was easy to talk to and said a lot in a short period of time. We even talked about house prices."
Elsewhere, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, sat at a table with young children making arts and crafts.
Charles and Camilla parted ways for the next event at Critical Design - a social enterprise focused on achieving environmental sustainability.
It uses innovative technology to turn plastic waste into material that can be used to manufacture other products.
The enterprise is located on the site of Wesley Intermediate, where students gave Charles a spine-tingling haka to welcome him.
Prince Charles pats a dog at the Wesley Community Centre in Mount Roskill. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Camilla created a Christmas ornament - it was pink with yellow feathers and dazzling glitter.
"You're an expert," she was told by her instructor.
11:15am
Drizzly weather wasn't enough to deter dozens of royal fans from watching Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, lay a wreath at the Mt Roskill War Memorial Park this morning.
A swarm of people stood quiet in anticipation as a drum roll rang out over the park, followed by the New Zealand National Anthem. Deputy Labour Party leader Kelvin Davis joined the royals.
Prince Charles took on the elements while his wife Camilla was handed a clear umbrella to fight off the rain. Photo / Luke Kirkness
Following the anthem, Charles lay a wreath at the memorial. Pausing for a moment of reflection, the Last Post was played with the New Zealand and Niuean flags lowered to half-mast.
Apart from the Last Post being played aloud, only the gusts of wind could be heard as onlookers stood in silence.
The Commonwealth's next King and his wife began their six-day trip yesterday when they arrived at Whenuapai's RNZAF base on a sunny afternoon.
Prince Charles laying a wreath in Mt Roskill. Photo / supplied
Then, onlookers were treated to a royal wave from the future King, before he hopped into a waiting car.
Following the Call of Remembrance and a moments silence, their Royal Highnesses met members of the New Zealand Navy, Army and Air Force before the Duchess of Cornwall placed a floral tribute under the flag of Niue.
Niuean soldiers served alongside their Kiwi counterparts during World War I and a memorial for them is also at the Mt Roskill site.
A quietness lied over the Mt Roskill War Memorial Park while the royals underwent their duties until a choir sang several songs, including Blackbird by the Beatles.
Onlookers, many smiling from ear to ear, took the rare opportunity to see their Royal Highnesses up close while undergoing the ceremony, several taking photographs and videos on their mobile phones.
Charles and Camilla quietly made their way around the memorial towards gathered returned service-people.
There was a heavy presence of police and security guards in the area but there was no unrest among the crowd.
An elderly woman in the crowd came to the memorial today for her husband's uncle who served during the war.
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall arrive at RNZAF Base Auckland. Photo / Dean Purcell
Tuesday sees the future King and his wife welcomed at Auckland's Government House, before the Prince meets Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and National Party leader Simon Bridges.
A tour of Auckland's waterfront rounds out Tuesday afternoon.
Turmoil before the tour
The royals' Kiwi touchdown comes amid a bombshell interview with Charles' brother, Prince Andrew, in which he answered questions about his links to late billionaire and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke of York has been facing questions for months over his ties to Epstein, which intensified after a woman accused Epstein of forcing her to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was only 17.
Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre, said she was forced to have sex with the Prince three times - In London, New York and Epstein's private Caribbean island - between 2001 and 2002.
