Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of NZ and Australia
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of New Zealand and Australia
Published on 2nd March 2014
As previously announced, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit New Zealand and Australia in April 2014.
Their Royal Highnesses, accompanied by Prince George, arrive in New Zealand on Monday 7th April, before travelling to Australia on Wednesday 16th April. The Royal Tour concludes on Friday 25th April.
The Duke and Duchess have been invited to visit by the New Zealand and Australian governments. While The Duke of Cambridge has visited both countries several times, The Duchess has yet to travel to either. The Tour will provide the opportunity for The Duke and Duchess to visit a number of towns and cities across both countries. Specific events will celebrate Australia's and New Zealand's success in the fields of technology, tourism, sports and the creative arts.
In what is the one-hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World War, The tour will also include several opportunities to recognise the sacrifice of members of the Australian and New Zealand armed forces. Among these, Their Royal Highnesses will attend a ceremony in Blenheim, New Zealand, and the ANZAC Commemorative Service in Canberra, Australia.
Prince William visited Christchurch shortly after the earthquake of February 2011. On this visit, Their Royal Highnesses will witness the city's reconstruction programme and view its plans for the future. They will also visit an area of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales badly hit by bushfires in October 2013.
In New Zealand, The Duke and Duchess will visit:
• Wellington (7th April, 9th April, 16th
April)
• Blenheim (10th April)
• Auckland (11th
April)
• Hamilton and Cambridge (12th April)
•
Dunedin (13th April)
• Queenstown (13th April)
•
Christchurch (14th April)
In Australia:
• Sydney, NSW
(16th, 18th, 20th April)
• Blue Mountains, NSW (17th
April)
• Brisbane, QLD (19th April)
• Uluru
(Ayer's Rock), NT (22nd April)
• Adelaide, SA (23rd
April)
• Canberra, ACT (24th, 25th
April)
Notes to Editors:
The Duke of Cambridge last visited New Zealand in March 2011, shortly after the Christchurch earthquake. Previously, he visited in January 2010, when he represented The Queen at the opening of the Supreme Court building in Wellington, and also visited Auckland. The Duke visited privately in 2005 when he followed the British Lions' rugby tour.
• The Duke last visited Australia in March 2011 to visit Queensland and Victoria. Previously, he visited Melbourne and Sydney in January 2010.
• Aged 9 months, Prince William accompanied The Prince and Princess of Wales on their official tour of Australia and New Zealand in March/April 1983.
• The Duchess of Cambridge has not yet visited either New Zealand or Australia.
• The Duke and Duchess's last overseas tour was to Singapore, Malaysia, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in September 2012 on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen during her Diamond Jubilee.
• Previously, they visited Canada and the United States in June/July 2011.