Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are in New Zealand in their latest stop in the royal tour around Oceania.
As part of the trip, they have met with Invictus Games competitors and taken part in ‘welly wanging’ with a group of young children.
The last stop on their tour will be the country’s city of Rotorua, on North Island on Wednesday, October 31.
Rotorua will conclude the couple’s two-week tour and will see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex return to UK shores.
Who is Jacinda Ardern?
Jacinda Ardern is New Zealand’s current Prime Minister, who received the royal couple as they touched down in Auckland two days ago.
Ms Ardern is globally popular and has recently marked her first full year in office.
A career politician, she has been involved in the political world since graduating from the University of Waikato in 2001, and formerly worked as an advisor to Tony Blair in London.
She was chosen as New Zealand’s Prime Minister in 2017 in a coalition between the Labour, New Zealand First and Green parties.
She has made a lot of first’s for New Zealand, becoming the first female Prime Minister and even giving birth while in office.
Who is Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister (Image: GETTY)
After Pakistan’s Benzair Bhutto in 1990, she is the second world leader in history to give birth whilst in office.
Ms Ardern gave birth to baby Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford on June 21.
Despite being just four months old, her daughter journeyed with her to the UN General Assembly in New York, where she rubbed shoulders with world leaders.
The Prime Minister has been refraining from sharing her thoughts on pregnancy while Meghan has been in the country, having received a lot of unsolicited advice herself.
She said: ”I think because I received so much unsolicited advice, I don’t know that I would be dishing too much of it out.
“Although I actually appreciated the advice that I got, a lot of it was really handy.
“I don’t think she’s quite suffered some of the same issues that I had when I went to the Pacific.”
Jacinda Ardern greets Harry and Meghan (Image: GETTY)
Stopping short of dishing out advice herself, Ms Ardern said she admired the Duchess for her work while pregnant.
She said: “It’s just increased my respect for the role that she’s playing at such an often tiring time.
“I have real empathy and I think she’s incredible.”
The Prime Minister also said New Zealand has “a real affinity” with the royal family, during the royal visit this week.
Speaking before a reception at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Ms Ardern said: “There’s a real connection between particularly William and Harry in recent years so it’s nice to have been able to host them in such close proximity.”
Meghan Markle’s Antonio Berandi dress (Image: GETTY)
Asked if the Duke and Duchess’s visit has changed views on New Zealand becoming a republic, Ms Ardern said: “It just really doesn’t come up as much.
“The only time it really comes up is, often off the back of visits, people tend to ask the question.
“What you’ll pick up from the New Zealand public is that there is a real affinity for the Queen and a real strength of feeling around members of the royal family, particularly given, in the wake of some of our disasters, that they’ve been quick to respond and be present.”
New Zealand was today hit with a 6.2-magnitude earthquake but despite shakes being felt as far as the country’s Parliament, the tremor did not disrupt the royal schedule.
Both Meghan and Harry turned up to an event in Auckland at the reception for the city’s war memorial museum.
Who is New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern? Who almost upstaged Meghan Markle (Image: GETTY)
The couple were greeted by the Prime Minister, who shook their hands from a step up on the staircase entrance to the building.
Harry was casual for the event, wearing an unbuttoned white shirt and navy jacket, while Meghan came donned in a £2,683 Antonio Berandi dress.
On Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave Prince Harry and Meghan Markle some hand-chosen gifts to commemorate the visit – two music records from New Zealand band Shapeshifter and a pair of Boh Runga feather earrings.
Ardern said she gave them the gifts in person and was given a gift in return – Meghan’s charity recipe book helping families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
The Prime Minister added she “enjoyed” her time with Prince Harry and Meghan and discussed climate change, children’s issues and mroe.
And she came away from her conversation with Harry and Meghan saying they were very “genuine in their passion” for mental health issues.