Hundreds of royal fans greet Prince Charles and Camilla in Auckland

Sunday, 8 November 2015

Excited royalist waited for up to four hours to get a chance to meet the Royal couple in Aotea Square, Auckland this afternoon.

Prince Charles has been given a t-shirt with a swear word while his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, donned an apron for her first visit to Auckland.

On a sweltering Sunday afternoon the pair was greeted by hundreds of fans, some who'd waited hours to see them at Aotea Square.

Accompanied by Auckland Mayor Len Brown, Prince Charles and Camilla were ushered into the Town Hall to meet with two charities that focus on young people and their families.

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, greets people at the Bellyfull charity at Auckland Town Hall,

Prince Charles met a group of Nga Rangatahi mentors, including singer Anika Moa and actress Teuila Blakely, and their young 'mentees'.

This was followed by a performance by youth enrolled in the charity's Manawa Ora programme, who later gave Prince Charles a t-shirt saying 'Unf*** the world'.

Prince Charles greets fans in Auckland's Aotea Square.

Manawa Ora pairs troubled Auckland youth with well-known Kiwi creatives who help them complete an artistic project about their life experiences.

In her speech before the performance, the charity's founder Sarah Longbottom said she was inspired the Prince's work with troubled youth through his Prince's Trust.

Ben, Aimee and mum Debbie travelled from Albany to see the royals. Ben said he's hoping for a handshake, while Aimee is just after 'a bit of a chat'.

'We're hosting you as a prince, but more importantly as an amazing human being,' she said.

Later, Blakely asked the prince, 'Did you watch the Rugby World Cup?' which prompted Mayor Len Brown to joke that Charles may have stopped watching after England was kicked out.

Caroline Rolls (L) and Jenny Reichenbach (R) were in Aotea Square with Kate (9) and Emma Rolls (8) and Emma Reichenbach (6), waiting for HRH Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to visit as part of their 2015 NZ visit.

Meanwhile Camilla was shown behind the scenes of Bellyful- a charity that helps new mothers by delivering hot meals.

The Duchess was given an apron to wear as she entered the kitchen, prompting her to ask, 'You're not going to get me cooking are you?!'

Sam Francks was waiting for the royal couple in Auckland's Aotea Square more than three hours before they were due to arrive.

Afterward Camilla clucked and cooed over dozens of babies and their mothers who had been invited by Bellyful to meet the Duchess.

Students from Nga Rangatahi Toa wore their hearts on their sleeves in an emotional performance at the Auckland Town Hall in Honour of Prince Charles. Rosie Albert performed with her back turned to the audience to overcome shyness.

Three month old Corben Blackburn's black merino socks got the royal approval from Camilla, his mother Audra Blackburn said. 'It was lovely, she was really genuine, just wanting to play with Corben and to talk to me and see what my experience was like with Bellyful.

'I did get quite surprised, she immediately started pulling faces and clucking at Corben and apparently she quite liked his socks.'

THE FANS

Hours before their 4pm arrival, families, curious tourists and royalists slowly trickled into Aotea Square to catch a glimpse of the famous couple.

They weren't disappointed, with the pair making a beeline for fans as soon as they arrived, shaking hands and greeting families.

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Aucklander Caroline Metcalfe said shaking Camilla's hand was probably the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her.

'I think she's so courageous - the whole second wife thing, you know? She's just beautiful. I'm actually shaking a little bit.'

Camilla shook a few lucky spectator's hands and made a few comments about the weather, remarking that Auckland wasn't as windy as other parts of the country.

Many English fans also turned out to see the pair.

Flora Woods, from the village of Lacock in Wiltshire, shared a conversation with Camilla about their shared geographical connection.

She said Camilla had lived not far from her village, in Reybridge.

'She said it's a small world, lovely to meet you,' Wood recounted.

Anna Dixon, on holiday from the United Kingdom, said she was a 'true royalist'.

She joked that she was excited about seeing Prince Charles 'but it would have been better if was Harry'.

Her friend Niamh O'Kelly, from Ireland, encouraged Dixon to go in for a kiss, but when it came down to it the two women settled for a polite handshake.

Sylvia Corin was sitting in the shade of a pohutukawa as she waited for Charles and Camilla to arrive.

A longtime royal fan, she attended Charles and Diana's wedding in 1981. She also flew from her Auckland home to England for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, and for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

When asked why she was so devoted to the royal family, she said: 'I admire them.'

'I admire them, I think they're doing a great job. … They bring a lot of happiness to people.'

She said she had always liked Charles and was glad Camilla made him happy.