The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall have landed in New Zealand only to be greeted by bad weather.

A small but hardy crowd turned out at the National War Memorial Park for the first public event of the Royal Tour.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are touching down on New Zealand soil this afternoon, with their seven-day tour starting in the capital.

It's like I've woken up in colonial New Zealand circa 1915, writes Brian Rudman. The Australians might be only the second-best rugby-playing nation in the world, but at least they have their feet firmly planted in the 21st century.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will be officially welcomed to New Zealand tomorrow by Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae in Wellington. The Prince and Duchess will then begin a seven day visit in New Zealand.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will be officially welcomed to New Zealand tomorrow as they begin their seven day visit.

Rugby royalty are due to arrive in New Zealand on the same day as another royal party - Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla.

John Key sat down with the Queen - and her dogs - this morning in a meeting at Windsor Castle.

The royals are set to visit New Zealand next week and details of their trip have been released.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are united in most aspects of their parenting, but on one issue, it seems, there is trouble ahead.

The Duchess of Cambridge gave a nod to royal history by wearing the Queen Mother's fan-motif tiara.

Barely two years after full diplomatic relations were restored, Xi said his four-day visit would lift the bilateral relationship to "a new height".

Prince William will record a television programme highlighting the threat to endangered species posed by the trade in illegal wildlife products.

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia, a former reality show starlet, are expecting their first child in April.

Charles and Camilla will pay a visit to Turangawaewae Marae as part of their visit to New Zealand next month.

It appears Richie McCaw is in royal favour - now that England are no longer around for the All Blacks to knock out of the Rugby World Cup.

Richie McCaw has made an appearance at an exclusive reception hosted by the Queen and Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace.

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has made an appearance at an exclusive reception hosted by the Queen and Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace. Coach Steve Hansen and Tony Woodcock describe what it was like and update on preparations to tackle the old for France in Cardiff.

The All Blacks became Royal tourists as they had a delayed departure from their Captains run before the Georgia match, Prince William had the team bus removed for his motorcade to the Wales v Fiji match at the nearby Millennium stadium.

The cast of Downton Abbey have spoken about a visit from the Duchess of Cambridge to their set earlier this year, saying she 'overstayed' because she loved it so much.

Prince Harry is an England fan and honorary president of England Rugby, but his older brother is vice-patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.

In her first public appearance since July, the Duchess of Cambridge revealed a new fringe as she arrived at church yesterday with her husband Prince William.

Prince Harry's nine days in New Zealand cost Kiwi taxpayers $426,317 - more than three times what it cost Australians.

Forgotten for nearly 500 years, the sheet music owned by Henry VIII's second wife could shed new light on her life - and loves, says Ivan Hewett.

Jeremy Corbyn is about to become the new Labour leader - and that should scares British voters, writes Mike Hosking.

Queen Elizabeth II has become the longest-reigning monarch in British history - her 23,226-day reign eclipsing that of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

My first real-life glimpse of the Queen was when I was changing my clothes in the parking lot outside the gates of Balmoral Castle in 2013.

Time waits for no one but constitutional arrangements work best when they change slowly and with forethought, writes Savage - chair of New Zealand Republic.

At 4.30am on Thursday (NZ time) Elizabeth will overtake the record set by Queen Victoria, also making her the world's longest ruling female monarch.