Princess Anne forced to alter plans as New Zealand hit by Cyclone Gabrielle
Princess Anne has been forced to alter her plans during a trip to New Zealand after a cyclone left a devastating wake of extensive flooding and landslides.
Cyclone Gabrielle struck the country's north on Monday and has brought more destruction to the nation of 5 million than any weather event in decades.
Princess Anne, who is on a four-day tour of the country with her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, was forced to divert from a planned visit to a military camp in the north on Tuesday to a crisis centre in the capital instead.
The New Zealand Defence Force confirmed the change, saying that she would visit the “National Crisis Management Centre at the Beehive [New Zealand Parliament]... to meet with staff from agencies involved in the Cyclone Gabrielle response”.
It is understood that the Princess remains in the capital Wellington, which is not badly affected by the cyclone, and that her plans for Wednesday remain unchanged.
However, due to the extreme weather conditions, it is understood her programme for the rest of the trip has been put under review.
In a statement released by the Defence Force on behalf of the Princess, she said that her thoughts are with all New Zealanders affected by the cyclone.
“I have been given the opportunity to visit the national disaster and crisis headquarters today and I am impressed by the major efforts being undertaken by first responders, local and national agencies to ensure the best possible support for everyone,” she said.
“I admire the courage of the people of Aotearoa during this alarming and difficult time,” she added, using the country's Maori name.
“You should all be proud of the resilience, strength and care for your communities you are showing in the face of adversity.”
The Princess signed off her statement with “Kia Kaha”, which is a Maori phrase used to encourage people to stay strong.
Police said at least four people had been killed by the storm and that all the fatalities occurred near the same North Island east coast bay.
New Zealand declared only the third state of emergency in the country's history following the cyclone.
Chris Hipkins, New Zealand’s new prime minister, said it was unclear how many people remained unaccounted for, with several communities still isolated by floodwaters, landslides and data outages.
The Princess’s visit was planned partly so that she could meet Mr Hipkins, who took over after the resignation of Jacinda Ardern last month.
