The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have put up a glamorous front just hours after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck during the third day of their royal tour in New Zealand.
Meghan Markle stunned in an elegant cream dress, beige trench coat and nude pumps as she and Prince Harry greeted excited fans in Wellington.
The Royal couple appeared relaxed despite the quake striking during their duties about 3.20pm at a location half way between Wellington and Auckland.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have put up a glamorous front just hours after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck during the third day of their royal tour in New Zealand
Meghan Markle stunned in an elegant cream dress, beige trench coat and nude pumps as she and Prince Harry greeted excited fans in Wellington
Meghan swept her hair into a low hanging bun while Harry donned a smart navy blue suit, matching dress shoes and a white button-up collared shirt
Prince Harry greets enthusiastic royal fans as the couple stepped out following an earthquake in New Zealand
Cheeky royal watchers brought homemade masks as they gathered to catch a glimpse of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry holds the hand of a young fan as he meets the crowd in Auckland during the royal visit
Meghan swept her hair into a low hanging bun while Harry donned a smart navy blue suit, matching dress shoes and a white button-up collared shirt.
The pair entered Courtenay Creative, in Wellington, hand-in-hand and beamed as they were greeted by actors in medieval costume before posing for a photo with a larger theatrically-dressed group.
They were visiting Pillars, a charity operating across New Zealand that supported children who have a parent in prison by providing special mentoring schemes.
Meghan presented an award to Orla Angi, with the pair posing with a framed certificate as they stood on stage.
Two people struggled to pick up a gigantic bunch of flowers in front of a barricade of hundreds of eager royal fans
Meghan rested a hand beneath her burgeoning baby bump as she and husband walked in front of cheering crowds
Meghan and Harry waved to spectators as they visited Pillars, a charity operating across New Zealand
Meghan presented an award to Orla Angi, with the pair posing with a framed certificate as they stood on stage
Harry appeared particularly pleased at the ‘#TeamPillar’ hooded jumper he received as a gift, while Meghan also posed happily with what appeared to be a set of blankets wrapped in orange ribbon.
Meanwhile, rumbling was felt for up to 30 seconds across the North Island.
The 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit near Taumarunui on Tuesday afternoon. The centre of the quake was about 280km south of Auckland, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are visiting.
New Zealand’s Parliament was suspended after the quake, and more than 15,000 people reported feeling it.
The tremor was one of the largest felt in the country since a 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Kaikoura in the South Island in November 2016, killing two.
The 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit near Taumarunui on Tuesday afternoon. The centre of the quake was about 280km south of Auckland, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are visiting
New Zealand’s Parliament was suspended after the quake, and more than 15,000 people reported feeling it
Authorities are warning people to be prepared for aftershocks.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first engagement of the day was a trip to a native bush reserve at Redvale on the city’s North Shore.
The royal couple’s main focus of the visit was to dedicate the 20-hectare (49-acre) area of bush to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. They unveiled a plaque recognising the dedication to the QCC, which conserves indigenous forests for future generations, before planting trees at the site.
The couple appeared just hours after an earthquake rocked New Zealand’s North Island
Harry appeared particularly pleased at the #TeamPillar hooded jumper he received as a gift, while Meghan also posed happily with what appeared to be a set of blankets wrapped in orange ribbon
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have put up a glamorous front just hours after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck during the third day of their royal tour in New Zealand
They were visiting Pillars, a charity operating across New Zealand that supported children who have a parent in prison by providing special mentoring schemes
But it was the Wellington boot throwing contest involving local schoolchildren which proved to be a hit with the crowds who turned out for the royal visit.
Meghan’s team emerged victorious, with the Duchess proving quite the natural in the unusual contest, given it was most likely her first time partaking in such a sport.
She had swapped a stylish navy blue blazer for a black hooded zip-up jacket with a QEII National Trust logo for the occasion – the same jacket her husband wore.
The Duchess of Sussex takes part in a ‘welly-wanging’ contest while visiting Auckland on Tuesday during the royal tour of New Zealand
The Duchess proved quite the natural in the unusual boot tossing contest, given it was most likely her first time partaking in such a sport
Meghan appeared excited at the lighthearted tournament, likely due to her team emerging victorious in the Wellington boot-throwing competition
Meghan tried her hand at throwing a Wellington boot as part of the contest which also involved local schoolchildren
She swapped a stylish navy blue blazer for a black hooded zip-up jacket with a QEII National Trust logo – the same jacket her female team player wore
Harry also took part in the tossing of the boots, appearing in deep concentration as he attempted to execute the perfect throw
The Duke of Sussex was spotted poking out his tongue mid-throw as he aimed the rubber shoe at his target
The Duke and Duchess posed for photos with the schoolchildren who took part in the ‘welly-wanging’ competition with them
The schoolchildren had also performed a song and dance to welcome the royal couple to the area
Meghan pressed her forehead and nose up against another woman while shaking her hand at a ceremony to dedicate 20ha of native bush to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy
Harry also embraced the woman’s hand and gave her a similarly intimate Hongi hello at the ceremony
The couple received gifts from locals following the ceremony, including what appeared to be a knitted rug and a pair of children’s Wellington boots
A drizzle of rain did not appear to dampen the spirits of Meghan, who appeared cheerful in the front row of the ceremony
Schoolchildren surrounded the Royal couple clad in rain jackets and black caps as Meghan and Harry appeared to happily share a conversation and perhaps some ‘welly-wanging’ tips
Meghan happily posed for photos with the young students who were delighted to be in the presence of royalty
The royal couple had changed into wet weather jackets for the ‘welly-wanging’ contest after Meghan earlier wore a blazer and Harry, a coat
Meghan covered her mouth to cover a shocked expression while a man appeared amused as he held an umbrella above her head
Harry on the other hand appeared rather glum as he held an umbrella above himself and a man seated at his side
The Duke of Sussex pressed his forehead and nose up against another man for the traditional ‘Hongi’ greeting
The Duchess of Sussex waved to the crowd as she left the Dedication to the Queens Commonwealth Canopy, bound for her next engagement of the day
The $219 (£120/US$155) Wellington boots worn by the couple are from The Original Muck Boot Company.
Meghan pressed her forehead and nose up against another woman for the traditional ‘Hongi’ greeting while shaking her hand at a ceremony to dedicate the area of native bush to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.
Harry also embraced the woman’s hand and gave her a similarly intimate Hongi hello at the ceremony.
The couple received gifts from locals following the ceremony, including what appeared to be a knitted rug and a pair of green children’s Wellington boots with cartoon characters on them.
A drizzle of rain did not appear to dampen the spirits of Meghan, who appeared cheerful in the front row of the ceremony.
Harry on the other hand appeared rather glum at one stage as he held an umbrella above himself and a man seated at his side.
Following the welly-wanging’ contest, the Duke and Duchess joined with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Pillars, a charity that supports children who have a parent in prison by providing special mentoring schemes
Meghan received a large bouquet of flowers from a young girl who was wearing a white dress with a pink bow in her hair
Meghan and Harry changed clothes for the visit to the charity Pillars, opting for more formal attire compared to their previous engagement of the day
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Duke of Sussex were in a fit of laughter while a speech was read out
Meghan appeared to be laughing off a potential slip-up, with Harry also seeming rather amused as he stood behind her
Meghan made good use of her Wellington boots in the wet weather, helping two schoolchildren plant a native tree to add to the area of bush in the Queen’s honour
She appeared focused on the task at hand, as did her two young helpers, who also wore rain jackets and Wellington boots to protect them in the soggy conditions
Meghan later donned a pair of green and black gloves to help her with the tree planting
Harry and a young boy wearing a bright red jacket pointed to the sky as they took a break from digging a hole for a tree
The two got down to business and each used a shovel to dig holes for the native plants on the outskirts of the bushland
There seemed to be something of interest above Harry and his little helper, with them taking a short break to look at the sky
Meghan appeared amused at her husband as he gave a speech at the ceremony while sporting a cheeky expression
The couple beamed as they stood before the crowd, with the rain seeming to ease long enough for them to ditch their umbrella
The happy couple seemed to engage in some friendly competition as they assessed the outcome of a boot toss
The Duke was appropriately dressed in a smart button-up white shirt tucked into a pair of grey trousers with black rubber boots
Meghan made good use of her Wellington boots in the wet weather, helping two school children plant a native tree to add to the area of bush in the Queen’s honour.
She appeared focused on the task at hand, as did her two young helpers, who also wore rain jackets and Wellington boots to protect them in the soggy conditions.
The couple later joined with the country’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a visit to Pillars, ‘a charity for children of prisoners’ operating across New Zealand.
The charity, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, a day ealier had spoken of their excitement about the royal couple’s visit.
‘We are very much looking forward to welcoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Pillars. It will be an exciting afternoon for our families and our staff and the small group of Pillars kids who will actually get to meet them,’ the charity wrote on Facebook.
Later in the afternoon, the royal couple will have the opportunity to meet the people of Auckland on the Viaduct Harbour, before attending a reception hosted by Ms Ardern at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived to dedicate a 20-hectare area of native bush to The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy in Auckland late on Tuesday morning
Prince Harry helped his pregnant wife Meghan navigate her way through the muddy grounds
The couple had arrived for their first engagement of the day while the sun was still shining but the umbrellas were kept close-by as the threat of rain lingered
The visit to the area of native bush was the couple’s first engagement on their third day in the country
The royal couple walked hand-in-hand as they visited the area of native bush on Auckland’s North Shore
The Wellington boots worn by Prince Harry and Meghan are from The Original Muck Boot Company
Meghan held up an umbrella for husband Prince Harry to shield him from the rain during their Auckland engagement
The couple took turns in holding up the umbrella as the rain fell late during their royal engagement on Tuesday morning
Meghan also had the support of those who joined with the royal couple for the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy dedication
The Wellington boots proved appropriate for the occasion, with a decent amount of rain falling throughout the engagement
The final day of their Royal Highnesses’ tour will take place in Rotorua on Wednesday.
The Duke and Duchess will head to Rainbow Springs to learn more about the centre’s kiwi breeding programme.
Later that afternoon, Meghan and Harry will head into the city for the chance to meet members of the public gathered there.
The royal couple then heads back to London.
New Zealand is the fourth country the royal couple have visited on their mammoth 16-day tour following visits to Australia, Fiji and Tonga.
Huge crowds lined the streets of Auckland to catch a glimpse of Meghan and Harry, with some students holding up a sign which read ‘We’re skipping school for you!’