
Chuck and Cams will be wondering what all the fuss is about when they touch down in the capital later today.
A few hours earlier the cheer went up as the plane they were on touched down in Auckland but it seems those who were being ever so boisterous weren't directing their enthusiasm at them, it was obvious, the crowds were looking elsewhere.
A bunch of young fellows, who'd been flying up front but looked as though they should have been in steerage, were the subject of the enthusiasm. Black, silver fern flags were being waved, even though Mummy had assured Chuck the colony's flag still had the Union Jack in the top left hand corner.
Then the realisation struck them, the cheering wasn't for them it was for the All Blacks. Quietly Charles confided to Cams that they should have delayed their holiday, at least until their rugby team toured the country in a couple of years time. As commander and chief of the Barmy Army it would have been more agreeable to be the subject of this type of enthusiasm.
But over the next few days they'll have to play second fiddle to the bally All Blacks, even though the game had its origins just down the road from one of his many estates.
While the All Blacks are being idolised and paraded around the country, the Royal couple will get to do things like laying wreaths, watching musical performances at schools, visiting museums, attending literary events, talking to environmental groups, looking at fisheries and aquaculture research and viewing a defence exercise.
But there is the odd wine and food event and a visit to a brewery, so life's not all bad.
And besides work is going on behind the scenes to let them share in the ABs' limelight, likely to be in the capital on Friday.
But things could have been different, certainly that was the impression given by the fourth in line to the Throne that Chuck will eventually get to sit on as a pensioner. Young Harry, opening the Rugby World Cup on the eve of the English/Fiji game declared: "We're ready, game on."
Oh how wrong he was
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