Kia Ora! Royals visiting New Zealand through the years

Once every while, European princes, dukes, duchesses, kings, and queens visit New Zealand. Many remembered a visit of Princess Diana and the former Prince of Wales, Charles in 1983. They brought the young Prince William with them.

In November 2019, Charles came to New Zealand with Camilla Parker Bowles.

He greeted the Maori leaders in Auckland with the traditional hongi salute.

Like father, like son. William, the Prince of Wales, also shared a fair number of hongi greetings when he visited New Zealand in 2010. This time with the former Gov. General, Sir Paul Reeves.

Princess Catherine, then the Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied the prince in 2014. Even baby George came with them. The family traveled from Wellington to Auckland, Waikato, Dunedin, Queensland, Christchurch, and back to Wellington.

Harry and Meghan Markle could not stay behind, of course. While she was pregnant with her first son, Archie, they toured New Zealand in 2018.

Even Princess Anne, Charles's younger sister, likes to explore the country. In 2006 she paid Auckland an official visit. She also made very clear through her reading matter where she was headed next.

Who remembers these delightful images of an earlier royal visit to New Zealand? It was 1983. Lady Diana and Charles played with their son William on the grounds of Auckland's Government House.

21 Years later, the grown Prince William would bring his own son, Prince George, to the country.

Charles and Camilla were wearing an ’ei, a Maori flower garland, in 2019. Made from natural flowers and leaves, these garlands are used to welcome or honor special visitors.

Prince Harry looks just like his father, wearing an 'ei during his 2015 visit to the Turn Your Life Around center in Auckland.

That year, the prince visited New Zealand on his own. Here he's walking through a rainforest in the open wildlife sanctuary of Ulva Island

Three years later he would bring his wife Meghan Markle with him. They're walking through a Redwoods forest in Rotorua.

Cultural events are a much-loved part of the tour. In 2012, local Lisa Shannon persuaded the future King Charles to dance at the rock 'n' roll event in Christchurch.

Prince William went and cooked some fillet steaks on the BBQ with then-Prime Minister John Key in 2010.

It wasn't always festive, though. The terrorist attack in the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, on March 15, 2019, prompted a visit by Prince William on behalf of the Queen. The royal family paid its respects to the community that had lost 51 members in the mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre.

He met with survivors of the attack and held an emotional speech. Empathizing with the victims, William spoke about his own 'pain and loss' when losing his mum at the age of 15.

Luckily, most of the royal visits have been more cheerful.

For example, when Harry met Henry, the 100-year-old Tuatara lizard.

Or when the King and Queen of The Netherlands made their acquaintance with a kiwi.

And there were visitors from other countries, too. When they were still king and queen of Spain, Juan Carlos and Sofía made a royal tour of New Zealand and Australia. Maori warriors performed at their official welcome in Wellington.

Juan Carlos shared a hongi with Maori elder Gerrard Albert during his official welcome in Wellington.

Princess Catherine loves to interact with children along the route. At the time of this picture, her son George was almost 1 year old. Roughly a year after this photo, she would have her second child, Charlotte.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wore Korowai, traditional Maori cloaks, during their visit to Te Papaiouru, Ohinemutu, in Rotorua.

Harry's brother William wore a similar Korowai when he opened the Supreme Court in Wellington, in 2010.

In November 2019, Charles came back to where he had been with Diana and William in 1983. He and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited South Island.

Charles received a Maori axe at the Critical Design event in Auckland. He seemed quite pleased with it. Perhaps he can put it to good use now that he is King.