A Carefully Arranged Propaganda Exercise
Keeping his father’s promise that his eldest son and heir would visit “when peace comes”, Edward Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), undertook a tour of the Dominions to thank them for their effort and participation in World War One.
The Prince spent a month in Aotearoa, arriving in Auckland onboard the Renown. He toured the country in a lavishly decorated train and by motor coach. In total he visited 50 towns and cities between Auckland and Invercargill. The “dashing playboy” was mobbed by enthusiastic crowds wherever he went and is said to have shaken more than 20,000 hands.
In Auckland the Prince is presented with the 'Freedom of the City' by the Mayor and is given a guard of honour by returned soldiers. In Rotorua, guided by Māui Pōmare, the Prince shakes hands with members of Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū – the Māori Pioneer Battalion. Later he attended a huge reception at the Racecourse.
A Carefully Arranged Propaganda Exercise
Keeping his father’s promise that his eldest son and heir would visit “when peace comes”, Edward Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), undertook a tour of the Dominions to thank them for their effort and participation in World War One.
The Prince spent a month in Aotearoa, arriving in Auckland onboard the Renown. He toured the country in a lavishly decorated train and by motor coach. In total he visited 50 towns and cities between Auckland and Invercargill. The “dashing playboy” was mobbed by enthusiastic crowds wherever he went and is said to have shaken more than 20,000 hands.
In Auckland the Prince is presented with the 'Freedom of the City' by the Mayor and is given a guard of honour by returned soldiers. In Rotorua, guided by Māui Pōmare, the Prince shakes hands with members of Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū – the Māori Pioneer Battalion. Later he attended a huge reception at the Racecourse.
Year: 1920
Length: 0:02:33
Production Company: H.C Gore and Company
Credits: Camera: Henry Gore
Source: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Catalogue Reference: F4095 The Prince of Wales in Māoriland
People: King George V, Edward Prince of Wales, Māui Pōmare
Location: Auckland and Rotorua, New Zealand
Tags: 1920, World War I, World War One, Parades, Processions, Te Hokowhitu-a-Tu, Māori Pioneer Battalion, Royal Tours, Edward Prince of Wales, Māui Pōmare, Auckland, Rotorua, Invercargill, Renown, the Dominions, Henry Gore, Dashing Playboy
Subject: Te Hokowhitu-a-Tu, Māori Pioneer Battalion, Royal Tour 1920, Edward Prince of Wales
Read about the film coverage of the Prince’s visit in The Camera in the Crowd, by Christopher Pugsley (2018) on pages 425 to 428.