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Prince William charmed sick children in New Zealand's capital Tuesday at
the end of his first official visit representing his grandmother, Queen
Elizabeth II.
The 27-year-old second in line to the throne flew out of Wellington Tuesday
morning bound for Sydney for a three-day unofficial visit to Australia.
Prince William first visited the children's wards at Wellington Hospital,
saying afterwards he had enjoyed the experience.
"Seeing kids smile means a lot to me," he told reporters.
Twelve-year-old Ethan Fagaloafa-Time, in hospital with a heart condition,
said the prince was good company.
"I thought he'd be a bit up himself," he said. He added that the prince's
accent was "pretty funny" and sounded "posh".
The prince proved a popular royal envoy on his visit to New Zealand,
meeting All Blacks rugby players and sailing an America's Cup yacht in Auckland
Harbour after arriving on Sunday.
After William opened a new Supreme Court Building in Wellington on Monday
on behalf of the Queen -- New Zealand's head of state -- he went on a walkabout,
shaking hands and chatting with some of up to 4,000 people gathered to see
him.
A man working for a radio station breached security Monday night to sneak
into a barbecue for William at Prime Minister John Key's official residence in
Wellington, police said.
The 19-year-old man, who said he climbed over a fence into the residence as
a prank, was stopped by police and questioned about half an hour before the
prince arrived at the barbecue.
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