Monarchy New Zealand pleased Prince Harry to visit at last

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

Monarchy New Zealand is happy Prince Harry will be visit in May, but say the Government is responsible for not hosting him sooner.

The younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, the 30-year-old will be on his first visit of New Zealand, surprising given his love of adventure and rugby.

The royals need to be invited by the Government in order to visit, Monarchy New Zealand chair Dr Sean Palmer said. 

'It's the Prime Minister's decision to ask them to come down here,' he said.

'When anyone complains why don't we see the royals here more often? The answer is you've got to ask the Government that.' 

Monarchy New Zealand sees the royal family as an important part of New Zealand culture.

'It's a vital component of our government, a guarantee of our democracy, and a sign of our maturity and independence as a nation.' 

Prime Minister John Key said he was thrilled New Zealand would have the opportunity to welcome the fourth-in-line to the British throne. 

'This is Prince Harry's first visit to New Zealand and we are very keen to show him as much of the country as possible,' Key said.

The prince confirmed on Tuesday he would visit after a four-week secondment with the Australian Defence Force.

The visit was still in its planning stages and details on dates and regions he would visit would be released closer to the time, Key said.

Prince Harry's visit follows a tour of New Zealand last year by his elder brother Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and their child Prince George.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited in 2012.

Prince Harry, who has a reputation of seeking out trouble, was once the third most popular royal -- after Prince William and the Queen.

He will be pressed to top the popularity of the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George, who drew large crowds on their tour.