Prince George, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Arrive Down Under
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Samir Hussein/WireImage(WELLINGTON, New Zealand) — Prince George made his first public appearance since his birth last July in Wellington, New Zealand, on Sunday.
He’s accompanying his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on his first overseas tour to two nations he could one day rule as king.
The couple landed on a scheduled Qantas flight in Sydney and then were escorted by the Royal New Zealand Air Force for the three-hour flight to Wellington. Prince George was clutching a kangaroo backpack as he was carried by his mother.
The couple and their son were greeted by the world’s media. More than 450 journalists were accredited for their arrival at the military terminal at Wellington Airport in what’s being billed as the biggest tour since William’s parents went Down Under 31 years ago with a 9-month-old Prince William in tow.
The highlight of the first part of the tour is expected to be the Royal Crawl-about at New Zealand’s Government House. Prince George is expected to show the world just how much he’s grown, like his father did 31 years ago.
“This trip down under is really all about Prince George. It’s the Prince George tour because that’s why they’ve brought him. He’s going to be the star of the show,” royal editor Robert Jobson, who’s covered more than 60 tours with the royal family, told ABC News.
The couple plans to attend more than 50 events during their three-and-a-half week tour, which includes white water rafting on the Shotover jet, sailing in America’s Cup Yachts in Auckland Harbor, and sampling the local wines in New Zealand.
The duchess also plans to follow in the footsteps of her famous mother-in-law, Diana, who was dubbed the Queen of Hearts. Kate is a patron of a hospice charity and will visit children at the Rainbow Place Children’s charity in Waikato Hamilton.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio