And during the same trip, HRH Flt Lt Prince William of Wales KG FRS MA RAF is off to New Zealand to attend the Earthquake memorial service in Christchurch and also visit the site of the Pike River Mine Disaster (remember that?).
It may sound trite, but this visit will lift many peoples' spirits in the Loyal Colonies. I feel for him and his father and the Queen - though all were born into a life of absolute privalege, so much of their time is spent giving comfort to people around the Commonwealth who are at their lowest. During the Queen's first visit to New Zealand in 1953 there was a massive railway disaster on Christams Eve - my parents only ever spoke of it in choked words:
Tangiwai disaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia